Meanings
verbdestroy (third-person singular simple present destroys, present participle destroying, simple past and past participle destroyed)
present singular third person destroys · participle present destroying · participle past destroyed · past destroyed
- ambitransitiveTo damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist.
Hooligans destroy unprovoked.
5 more examples
The earthquake destroyed several apartment complexes.
Iesus answered, and said vnto them, Destroy this temple, and in three dayes I will raise it vp.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 2:19Repeated use of this type of [water] on plants results in deflocculation[] of the soil. Good quality soil consists of loose aggregates which provide natural aeration and ease of root run. Sodium accumulation in soil destroys this natural flocculation and causes the soil to pack.
1972 November 5, Joan Lee Faust, “AROUND THE Garden”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 03 Dec 2024Krav is a martial art of last resort that assumes no quarter and focuses purely on disarming, disabling and, if necessary, destroying your opponent.
2013, Steven McLaughlin, Clubland UK: On the Door in the Rave EraMusk’s Israel tour was transparently transactional and frankly insulting. The antisemitic sentiment Musk endorsed had nothing to do with Israel; “replacement theory” is generally an unsupported allegation that Jews and other immigrants in the US and Europe are destroying Western civilization.
2023 November 28, Jill Filipovic, “Opinion: Elon Musk’s Israel tour was transparently transactional and insulting”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Dec 2023 - transitiveTo neutralize, undo a property or condition.
Smoking destroys the natural subtlety of the palate.
- transitiveTo severely disrupt the well-being of (a person); ruin.
Her divorce destroyed her; she had a nervous breakdown and was severely depressed for more than a year.
1 more example
Other girls in the foster home are eager to destroy her and get her kicked out of the place. It's a tough situation.
2005, Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide - informaltransitiveTo utterly defeat; to crush.
Remember when Germany destroyed Brazil 7–1 in the World Cup?
1 more example
Growing up, [Kevin] Durant told me, he was a sore loser. That all changed one day when he was 11, after he got destroyed by his father in a game of one on one in the driveway.
2012 November 11, Sam Anderson, “The Oklahoma City Thunder's Fairy-Tale Rise”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 Apr 2023 - slangtransitivevulgarTo penetrate sexually in an aggressive way.
She got destroyed by her lover on the carpet.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
annihilatebreakdemolishkillruinwasteaerosolizeatomizebenothingbewreckblot outblottodashdecomposedesolatedevastatediffusedisintegratedispersedissolveeliminateeradicateeraseexterminateextinguishextirpatefordofuckharryjazzlay wastelevelliquidatenukeobliterateoverthrowoverturnpull downpulverizeracerazeravageravelremoveruinatestamp outtotalsubvertunbreedunexistunmakeuprootwipe outwipe offwreck
Narrower
Also see
abateannihilateassassinatebaptizecancelconsumecrippledashdefacedemolishdesolatedestructdevastatedispatchdispersedo indownstroyduppyeliminateeradicateeuthanizeexextinguishextirpatefuckfuck upharryinjureiron outkillknock downknock offlay wasteliquidatemortifynukeobliteratepop offput downraceravageravelrazerub outruinscuttleshut upslaysnuff outspoilstop someone's clocksubvertuprootwax
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindēstruō
- Vulgar Latin*destrugō
- Old Frenchdestruire
- Middle Englishdestroyen
- Englishdestroy
From Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrugō, from Classical Latin dēstruō, from dē- (“un-, de-”) + struō (“to build”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Vulgar Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀπόλλυμι, ἀναιρέω
- ἀπόλλυμι (apóllumi)to damage beyond use or repair
- ἀναιρέω (anairéō)to damage beyond use or repair
- ἀνᾱλίσκω (anālískō)to damage beyond use or repair
- φθείρω (phtheírō)to damage beyond use or repair
- ἀποφθείρω (apophtheírō)to damage beyond use or repair
- διαφθείρω (diaphtheírō)to damage beyond use or repair
- καταφθείρω (kataphtheírō)to damage beyond use or repair
Arabic دَمَّرَ
- دَمَّرَ (dammara)to damage beyond use or repair
Bulgarian унищожа́вам, унищожа́
- унищожа́вам (uništožávam)to damage beyond use or repair
- унищожа́ (uništožá)to damage beyond use or repair
- разруша́вам (razrušávam)to damage beyond use or repair
- разруша́ (razrušá)to damage beyond use or repair
- изтре́бвам (iztrébvam)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- изтре́бя (iztrébja)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- изтри́вам (iztrívam)(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
- изтри́я (iztríja)(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
Catalan destruir
- destruirto damage beyond use or repair
Chinese Mandarin 銷毀 /销毁, 摧毀 /摧毁
- 銷毀 /销毁 (xiāohuǐ)to damage beyond use or repair
- 摧毀 /摧毁 (cuīhuǐ)to damage beyond use or repair
- 破壞 /破坏 (pòhuài)to damage beyond use or repair
- 毀壞 /毁坏 (huǐhuài)to damage beyond use or repair
- 中和 (zhōnghé)to neutralize
- 人道毀滅 /人道毁灭 (réndào huǐmiè)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- 銷毀 /销毁 (xiāohuǐ)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
Czech ničit, zničit
- ničitto damage beyond use or repair
- zničitto damage beyond use or repair
Danish ødelægge, aflive
- ødelæggeto damage beyond use or repair
- afliveto put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
Dutch vernietigen, vernielen
- vernietigento damage beyond use or repair
- vernielento damage beyond use or repair
- verwoestento damage beyond use or repair
- kapot makento damage beyond use or repair
- slopento damage beyond use or repair
- kapot makento neutralize
- vernielento neutralize
- tenietdoento neutralize
- afmakento put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- laten inslapento put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- verpulveren(informal) to utterly defeat
- vernietigen(informal) to utterly defeat
Esperanto ekstermi, detrui
- ekstermito damage beyond use or repair
- detruito damage beyond use or repair
Estonian hävitama
- hävitamato damage beyond use or repair
Finnish tuhota, hävittää
- tuhotato damage beyond use or repair
- hävittääto damage beyond use or repair
- lopettaato put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- murskata(informal) to utterly defeat
- tuhota(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
French détruire, euthanasier
- détruireto damage beyond use or repair
- euthanasierto put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
German zerstören, vernichten
- zerstörento damage beyond use or repair
- vernichtento damage beyond use or repair
- kaputtmachento damage beyond use or repair
- zerstörento neutralize
- kaputtmachento neutralize
- notschlachtento put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- einschläfernto put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- zerstören(informal) to utterly defeat
- vernichten(informal) to utterly defeat
- vernichtend schlagen(informal) to utterly defeat
- löschen(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
Greek καταστρέφω, αφανίζω
- καταστρέφω (katastréfo)to damage beyond use or repair
- αφανίζω (afanízo)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
Hawaiian luku
- lukuto damage beyond use or repair
Hebrew הָרַס
- הָרַס (harás)to damage beyond use or repair
Hindi नष्ट करना, नाश करना
- नष्ट करना (naṣṭ karnā)to damage beyond use or repair
- नाश करना (nāś karnā)to damage beyond use or repair
- बर्बाद करना (barbād karnā)to damage beyond use or repair
Hungarian megsemmisít, pusztít
- megsemmisítto damage beyond use or repair
- pusztítto damage beyond use or repair
- elpusztítto damage beyond use or repair
- tönkreteszto damage beyond use or repair
- szétrombolto damage beyond use or repair
- töröl(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
Icelandic eyðileggja, rústa
- eyðileggjato damage beyond use or repair
- rústato damage beyond use or repair
- skemmato damage beyond use or repair
Irish slad, loit
- sladto damage beyond use or repair
- loitto damage beyond use or repair
Italian distruggere, annichilare
- distruggereto damage beyond use or repair
- annichilareto damage beyond use or repair
Japanese 破壊する, 壊す
- 破壊する (hakai suru)to damage beyond use or repair
- 壊す (kowasu)to damage beyond use or repair
- 潰す (tsubusu)to damage beyond use or repair
- 破る (yaburu)to damage beyond use or repair
Korean 파괴하다, 말살하다
- 파괴하다 (pagoehada)to damage beyond use or repair
- 말살하다 (malsalhada)to damage beyond use or repair
- 부수다 (busuda)to damage beyond use or repair
Latin populor, dēleō
- populorto damage beyond use or repair
- dēleōto damage beyond use or repair
- auferōto damage beyond use or repair
- aboleōto damage beyond use or repair
- abolefaciōto damage beyond use or repair
Latvian iznīcināt
- iznīcinātto damage beyond use or repair
Lithuanian sunaikinti
- sunaikintito damage beyond use or repair
Malay musnah-kan, hancurkan
- musnah-kanto damage beyond use or repair
- hancurkanto damage beyond use or repair
Māori whakakorekore, hoepapa
- whakakorekoreto damage beyond use or repair
- hoepapato damage beyond use or repair
- whakamōtīto damage beyond use or repair
- kōpenupenuto damage beyond use or repair
- whakangawhito damage beyond use or repair
- whakangahito damage beyond use or repair
- kaiauruto damage beyond use or repair
- whakahotuto damage beyond use or repair
- urupatuto damage beyond use or repair
- whakapakaruto damage beyond use or repair
- aneato damage beyond use or repair
- whakangaroto damage beyond use or repair
Norwegian Bokmål ødelegge
- ødeleggeto damage beyond use or repair
Persian از بین بردن, تباه کردن
- از بین بردن (az beyn bordan)to damage beyond use or repair
- تباه کردن (tabâh kardan)to damage beyond use or repair
- نابود کردن (nâbud kardan)to damage beyond use or repair
- کشتن (koštan)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
Polish niszczyć, zniszczyć
- niszczyćto damage beyond use or repair
- zniszczyćto damage beyond use or repair
- rujnowaćto damage beyond use or repair
- zrujnowaćto damage beyond use or repair
- miażdżyć(informal) to utterly defeat
- zmiażdżyć(informal) to utterly defeat
Portuguese destruir, estraçalhar
- destruirto damage beyond use or repair
- estraçalharto damage beyond use or repair
- arruinarto damage beyond use or repair
- destroçarto damage beyond use or repair
- detonarto damage beyond use or repair
- destruirto neutralize
- acabar comto neutralize
- sacrificarto put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- arrasar(informal) to utterly defeat
- destruir(informal) to utterly defeat
- destruir(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
Romanian distruge, nimici
- distrugeto damage beyond use or repair
- nimicito damage beyond use or repair
Russian уничтожа́ть, уничто́жить
- уничтожа́ть (uničtožátʹ)to damage beyond use or repair
- уничто́жить (uničtóžitʹ)to damage beyond use or repair
- разруша́ть (razrušátʹ)to damage beyond use or repair
- разру́шить (razrúšitʹ)to damage beyond use or repair
- истребля́ть (istrebljátʹ)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- истреби́ть (istrebítʹ)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- сокруша́ть (sokrušátʹ)(informal) to utterly defeat
- сокруши́ть (sokrušítʹ)(informal) to utterly defeat
- стира́ть (stirátʹ)(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
- стере́ть (sterétʹ)(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
Scottish Gaelic dì-làraich
- dì-làraichto damage beyond use or repair
Slovak ničiť, zničiť
- ničiťto damage beyond use or repair
- zničiťto damage beyond use or repair
- znehodnotiťto damage beyond use or repair
Spanish destruir, romper
- destruirto damage beyond use or repair
- romperto damage beyond use or repair
- destrozarto damage beyond use or repair
- escocherarto damage beyond use or repair
- profligarto damage beyond use or repair
- sacrificarto put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
Swahili -haribu
- -haributo damage beyond use or repair
Swedish förstöra, ödelägga
- förstörato damage beyond use or repair
- ödeläggato damage beyond use or repair
- avlivato put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- nödslaktato put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- krossa(informal) to utterly defeat
- mosa(informal) to utterly defeat
- spöa(informal) to utterly defeat
Tagalog sirain, wasakin
- sirainto damage beyond use or repair
- wasakinto damage beyond use or repair
Thai ทำลาย, ทำลาย
- ทำลาย (tam-laai)to damage beyond use or repair
- ทำลาย (tam-laai)to neutralize
- ทำให้สูญto neutralize
- ฆ่า (kâa)to put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- ทำการุณยฆาตto put down or euthanize (e.g. an animal)
- ชนะราบคาบ(informal) to utterly defeat
- ชนะอย่างสิ้นเชิง(informal) to utterly defeat
- ลบข้อมูล(computing) to remove data (e.g., from memory)
Turkish yok etmek, mahvetmek
- yok etmekto damage beyond use or repair
- mahvetmekto damage beyond use or repair
Ukrainian ни́щити, зни́щувати
- ни́щити (nýščyty)to damage beyond use or repair
- зни́щувати (znýščuvaty)to damage beyond use or repair
- зни́щити (znýščyty)to damage beyond use or repair
- руйнува́ти (rujnuváty)to damage beyond use or repair
- зруйнува́ти (zrujnuváty)to damage beyond use or repair
- розва́люватити (rozváljuvatyty)to damage beyond use or repair
- розвали́ти (rozvalýty)to damage beyond use or repair
Urdu برباد کرنا
- برباد کرنا (barbād karnā)to damage beyond use or repair
Vietnamese huỷ hoại, phá hoại
- huỷ hoạito damage beyond use or repair
- phá hoạito damage beyond use or repair
- phá huỷto damage beyond use or repair
Welsh dinistrio
- dinistrioto damage beyond use or repair
Yiddish חרובֿ מאַכן
- חרובֿ מאַכן (khorev makhn)to damage beyond use or repair
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with destroy
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
destroy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/destroy
MLA
“destroy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/destroy. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “destroy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/destroy.
Source: destroy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.