Destroy: Taking Something Apart So It Cannot Come Back
To destroy is to damage something so completely that it no longer exists or works. The Latin root means to unbuild, which is a precise description.
Destroy means to end something's existence or usefulness entirely. The Latin behind it is *destruere*, to unbuild — the exact opposite of construct. Damage can be repaired; destruction is what happens when repair is no longer possible.
- To ruin completely. *Fire destroyed the warehouse.*
- To defeat overwhelmingly. *They destroyed the opposition.*
- To kill an animal humanely. *The horse had to be destroyed.*
- To end something abstract. *The scandal destroyed his career.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | destroy | Destroy the evidence. |
| Noun | destruction | Widespread destruction. |
| Adjective | destructive | Destructive criticism. |
| Noun | destroyer | A naval destroyer. |
| Opposite | construct | Construct a bridge. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The records were destroyed in the flood.Gone beyond recovery.
- The dog had to be destroyed.A euphemism, and standard veterinary wording in Britain.
- Self-destructive behaviour is common in the early stages.Harmful to oneself.
Destroy, damage, ruin and demolish
- Destroy — the thing no longer exists or functions
- Damage — harmed but potentially repairable
- Ruin — spoiled beyond usefulness, often gradually
- Demolish — deliberately pull down a structure
- Devastate — destroy over a wide area, and used of feelings too
From Old French *destruire*, from Latin *destruere*, from *de* (down) and *struere*, to build. The same *struere* gives structure, construct, instruct and industry — a whole vocabulary of building, with destroy as its mirror.
Destroy or demolish?
Demolish applies to structures pulled down on purpose. Destroy is broader and covers accidents, fires and abstract things.
Why is a warship called a destroyer?
From torpedo boat destroyer, its original role in the 1890s. The name was shortened and the ship type grew.