destroy

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destroy

demolish; ruin; annihilate; kill, slay; defeat completely: They will destroy the entire village.

Not to be confused with:

decimate – to destroy a great number or proportion of: Cholera decimated the city’s population; to select by lot and kill every tenth person

de·stroy

(dĭ-stroi′)

v.de·stroyed,de·stroy·ing,de·stroys

v.tr.

1. To break apart the structure of, render physically unusable, or cause to cease to exist as a distinguishable physical entity:The fire destroyed the library. The tumor was destroyed with a laser.

2. To put an end to; eliminate:"In crowded populations, poverty destroys the possibility of cleanliness"(George Bernard Shaw).

3. To render useless or ruin:felt that an overemphasis on theory had destroyed the study of literature.

4. To put to death; kill:destroy a rabid dog.

5. To subdue or defeat completely; crush:The rebel forces were destroyed in battle.

6. To cause emotional trauma to; devastate:The divorce destroyed him.

v.intr.

To be destructive; cause destruction:"Too much money destroys as surely as too little"(John Simon).

[Middle Englishdestroien, from Old Frenchdestruire, from Vulgar Latin*dēstrūgere, back-formation from Latindēstrūctus, past participle ofdēstruere,to destroy :dē-,de- +struere,to pile up; seester- inIndo-European roots.]

Synonyms: destroy, raze, demolish, ruin, wreck
These verbs mean to cause the complete ruin or wreckage of something or someone.Destroy, raze, anddemolish can all imply reduction to ruins or even complete obliteration:"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness" (Allen Ginsberg)."raze what was left of the city from the surface of the earth" (John Lothrop Motley).
The prosecutor demolished the opposition's argument. Ruin usually implies irretrievable harm but not necessarily total destruction:"You will ruin no more lives as you ruined mine" (Arthur Conan Doyle).
Towreck is to ruin in or as if in a violent collision:"The Boers had just wrecked a British military train" (Arnold Bennett).
Whenwreck is used in referring to the ruination of a person or of his or her hopes or reputation, it implies irreparable shattering:"Coleridge, poet and philosopher wrecked in a mist of opium" (Matthew Arnold).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

destroy

(dɪˈstrɔɪ)

vb (mainly tr)

1.to ruin; spoil; render useless

2.to tear down or demolish; break up; raze

3.to put an end to; do away with; extinguish

4.to kill or annihilate

5.to crush, subdue, or defeat

6. (intr) to be destructive or cause destruction

[C13: from Old Frenchdestruire, from Latindēstruere to pull down, from de- +struere to pile up, build]

deˈstroyableadj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•stroy

(dɪˈstrɔɪ)

v.t.

1. to reduce (a thing) to useless fragments or a useless form, as by smashing or burning; injure beyond repair; demolish.

2. to put an end to; extinguish.

3. to kill; slay.

4. to render ineffective or useless; neutralize; invalidate.

5. to defeat completely.

v.i.

6. to engage in destruction.

[1175–1225; Middle English < Old Frenchdestruire]

de•stroy′a•ble,adj.

syn:destroy,demolish,raze imply completely ruining or doing away with something. Todestroy is to reduce something to nothingness or to take away its powers so that restoration is impossible:Disease destroys tissues. Todemolish is to destroy something organized or structured by smashing it to bits or tearing it down:The evidence demolished the attorney's case. Toraze is to level a building or other structure to the ground:to raze a fortress.

destroy

–spoil –ruin

1.'destroy'

If youdestroy something, you cause so much damage to it that it can no longer be used or it no longer exists.

Several apartment buildingswere destroyed by the fire.

Idestroyed the letter as soon as I had read it.

2.'spoil' and 'ruin'

If someone or something prevents an experience from being enjoyable, don't say that they 'destroy' the experience. You say that theyspoil it orruin it.

The eveninghad been spoiled by their argument.

The weatherhad completelyruined their day.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

destroy

Past participle:destroyed
Gerund:destroying

Imperative
destroy
destroy

Present
I destroy
you destroy
he/she/it destroys
we destroy
you destroy
they destroy

Preterite
I destroyed
you destroyed
he/she/it destroyed
we destroyed
you destroyed
they destroyed

Present Continuous
I am destroying
you are destroying
he/she/it is destroying
we are destroying
you are destroying
they are destroying

Present Perfect
I have destroyed
you have destroyed
he/she/it has destroyed
we have destroyed
you have destroyed
they have destroyed

Past Continuous
I was destroying
you were destroying
he/she/it was destroying
we were destroying
you were destroying
they were destroying

Past Perfect
I had destroyed
you had destroyed
he/she/it had destroyed
we had destroyed
you had destroyed
they had destroyed

Future
I will destroy
you will destroy
he/she/it will destroy
we will destroy
you will destroy
they will destroy

Future Perfect
I will have destroyed
you will have destroyed
he/she/it will have destroyed
we will have destroyed
you will have destroyed
they will have destroyed

Future Continuous
I will be destroying
you will be destroying
he/she/it will be destroying
we will be destroying
you will be destroying
they will be destroying

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been destroying
you have been destroying
he/she/it has been destroying
we have been destroying
you have been destroying
they have been destroying

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been destroying
you will have been destroying
he/she/it will have been destroying
we will have been destroying
you will have been destroying
they will have been destroying

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been destroying
you had been destroying
he/she/it had been destroying
we had been destroying
you had been destroying
they had been destroying

Conditional
I would destroy
you would destroy
he/she/it would destroy
we would destroy
you would destroy
they would destroy

Past Conditional
I would have destroyed
you would have destroyed
he/she/it would have destroyed
we would have destroyed
you would have destroyed
they would have destroyed

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Verb	1.	destroy - do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of; "The fire destroyed the house" destruct kill - destroy a vitally essential quality of or in; "Eating artichokes kills the taste of all other foods" do away with,eliminate,get rid of,extinguish - terminate, end, or take out; "Let's eliminate the course on Akkadian hieroglyphics"; "Socialism extinguished these archaic customs"; "eliminate my debts" unmake,undo - deprive of certain characteristics self-destroy,self-destruct - do away with oneself or itself; "The machine will self-destruct if you tamper with it" destruct - destroy (one's own missile or rocket); "The engineers had to destruct the rocket for safety reasons" end - put an end to; "The terrible news ended our hopes that he had survived" fracture - interrupt, break, or destroy; "fracture the balance of power" sweep away,wipe out - eliminate completely and without a trace; "The old values have been wiped out" interdict - destroy by firepower, such as an enemy's line of communication demolish,pulverise,pulverize - destroy completely; "the wrecking ball demolished the building"; "demolish your enemies"; "pulverize the rebellion before it gets out of hand" break apart,disassemble,take apart,dismantle,break up - take apart into its constituent pieces pull down,rase,raze,dismantle,tear down,level,take down - tear down so as to make flat with the ground; "The building was levelled" extirpate,root out,uproot,eradicate,exterminate - destroy completely, as if down to the roots; "the vestiges of political democracy were soon uprooted" "root out corruption" dilapidate - bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin by neglect or misuse demyelinate - destroy the myelin sheath of; "the disease demyelinated the nerve fibers"
	2.	destroy - destroy completely; damage irreparably; "You have ruined my car by pouring sugar in the tank!"; "The tears ruined her make-up" ruin burn,burn down,fire - destroy by fire; "They burned the house and his diaries" devastate,lay waste to,ravage,scourge,desolate,waste - cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly; "The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion" ravage,harry - make a pillaging or destructive raid on (a place), as in wartimes break - find a flaw in; "break an alibi"; "break down a proof" bust,break - ruin completely; "He busted my radio!" vandalise,vandalize - destroy wantonly, as through acts of vandalism; "vandalize the park" do a job on - destroy completely or make ugly or useless; "The dog did a job on my pillow"; "The seamstress did a job on my wedding gown" subvert - destroy completely; "we must not let our civil liberties be subverted by the current crisis" get - overcome or destroy; "The ice storm got my hibiscus"; "the cat got the goldfish" devour - destroy completely; "Fire had devoured our home" despoil,plunder,violate,spoil - destroy and strip of its possession; "The soldiers raped the beautiful country" explode - destroy by exploding; "The enemy exploded the bridge" consume - destroy completely; "The fire consumed the building" shipwreck - destroy a ship; "The vessel was shipwrecked" bust up,wrack,wreck - smash or break forcefully; "The kid busted up the car" kick down,kick in - open violently; "kick in the doors" wash out - wear or destroy by the force of water; "The hail storms had washed out the bridges"
	3.	destroy - defeat soundly; "The home team demolished the visitors" demolish smash - overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful); "The police smashed the drug ring after they were tipped off" swallow - engulf and destroy; "The Nazis swallowed the Baltic countries" cut to ribbons - defeat totally; "We must cut the other team to ribbons!" defeat,get the better of,overcome - win a victory over; "You must overcome all difficulties"; "defeat your enemies"; "He overcame his shyness"; "He overcame his infirmity"; "Her anger got the better of her and she blew up"
	4.	destroy - put (an animal) to death; "The customs agents destroyed the dog that was found to be rabid"; "the sick cat had to be put down" put down kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays"

destroy

verb

1.ruin,smash,crush,waste,devastate,break down,wreck,shatter,gut,wipe out,dispatch,dismantle,demolish,trash(slang),total(slang),ravage,slay,eradicate,torpedo,extinguish,desolate,annihilate,put paid to,raze,blow to bits,extirpate,blow sky-highThe building was completely destroyed.

2.devastate,overwhelm,overpower,floor(informal),take aback,chagrin,nonplus,discomposeSuch criticism would have destroyed a more sensitive person.

3.slaughter,kill,put down,exterminate,put to sleepThe horse had to be destroyed.

4.annihilate,wipe out,obliterate,erase,eradicate,extinguish,liquidate,root out,exterminate,nullify,extirpate,wipe from the face of the earthThey could destroy the enemy in days rather than weeks.

5.defeat,beat,master,tank(slang),crush,overwhelm,conquer,overthrow,lick(informal),undo,subdue,rout,overpower,quell,trounce,clobber(slang),stuff(slang),vanquish,subjugate,run rings around(informal),wipe the floor with(informal),make mincemeat of(informal),pip at the post,outplay,blow out of the water(slang)The team destroyed their opponents in a one-sided game.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

destroy

verb

1.To cause the complete ruin or wreckage of:

bankrupt,break down,cross up,demolish,finish,ruin,shatter,sink,smash,spoil,torpedo,undo,wash up,wrack,wreck.

Slang:total.

Idiom:put the kibosh on.

2.To pull down or break up so that reconstruction is impossible:

demolish,dismantle,dynamite,knock down,level,pull down,pulverize,raze,tear down,wreck.

Aerospace:destruct.

3.To cause the death of:

carry off,cut down,cut off,dispatch,finish (off),kill,slay.

Slang:waste,zap.

Idioms:put an end to,put to sleep.

4.To take the life of (a person or persons) unlawfully:

finish (off),kill,liquidate,murder,slay.

Informal:put away.

Slang:bump off,do in,knock off,off,rub out,waste,wipe out,zap.

5.To impair severely something such as the spirit, health, or effectiveness of:

break,crush,overwhelm,ruin.

Translations

دمريُدَمِّرُيُدَمِّر، يُخَرِّب، يُحَطِّميَقْتُل

zničitničitzabít

ødelæggeaflivegøre det af medtilintetgøre

zerstören vernichtendestruierenkaputtmachen löschen

καταστρέφω ρημάζω

destruir exterminar matar sacrificar arruinar

tuhotahävittäälopettaamurskata

détruire fracasser ravager ruiner tuer

uništiti

megsemmisítpusztít

eyîa, drepaeyîileggja

distruggere rovinare annientare

破壊する打ち壊す滅ぼす

파괴하다

eskadrinis minininkasnaikintisugriauti

iznīcinātizpostītsagraut

slopen vernietigen verwoesten wissen

avlive destruere ødelegge

niszczyć zniszczyć

destruir

уничтожать разрушать разрушить уничтожить выводить

uničiti

förstörakrossamosanödslaktaspöa

ทำลาย

itlâf etmekmahvetmek öldürmekparçalamaktahrip etmek

phá hủy

破坏毁坏消灭

destroy

[dɪsˈtrɔɪ]VT (gen) →destruir,destrozar; (=kill) →matar; [+pet] →sacrificar; [+vermin] →exterminar (fig) [+relationship, hopes etc] →destrozar,acabar con
the factory was destroyed by a fire →lafábrica quedó destrozadaor fuearrasada por unincendio

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

destroy

[dɪˈstrɔɪ]vt

(=smash) [+building, weapons] →détruire

(=ruin) [+economy, system, career, life] →détruire; [+person] →anéantir

(=put an end to) [+faith, confidence] →détruire

[+evidence] →détruire

(=put down) [+animal] →abattre

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

destroy

(lit:= wreck, ruin) →zerstören;box, toy, watch etc →kaputt machen;documents, trace →vernichten;todestroy oneself →sichzugrundeorzu Grunde richten;to bedestroyed by fire →durchBrand vernichtet werden

(= kill) →vernichten;animal →einschläfern

(fig:= put an end to) →zerstören;influence, hopes, chances →zunichtemachen,vernichten;reputation, mood, beauty →ruinieren;morals →zersetzen;todestroy somebody →jdn zugrundeorzu Grunde richten

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

destroy

[dɪsˈtrɔɪ]vt (gen) →distruggere; (kill, dangerous or diseased animal) →abbattere; (pet) →sopprimere; (vermin) →eliminare; (mood, appetite) →rovinare

destroy

(diˈstroi) verb

1. to put an end to or make useless; to ruin.Vandals destroyed the painting. vernietig, verniel يُدَمِّر، يُخَرِّب، يُحَطِّم унищожавам destruir zničitzerstören ødelægge; tilintetgøreκαταστρέφωdestruir hävitama خراب کردن؛ از بین بردن tuhotadétruire לַהֲרוֹס नष्ट करना uništiti megsemmisít menghancurkan eyðileggjadistruggere 破壊する 파괴하다 (su)naikinti, (su)griauti iznīcināt; sagraut; izpostīt musnahkanvernielenødelegge,rive ned,tilintetgjøreniszczyć ويجاړول، ورانول، تباه كول، وژلdestruir a distrugeразрушать zničiť uničiti uništiti förstöra ทำลาย parçalamak,mahvetmek,tahrip etmek 破壞，毀壞 знищувати; руйнувати مسمار کرنا phá hủy 破坏，毁坏

2. to kill (animals).This poison destroys rats. vernietig, doodmaak يَقْتُل изтребвам exterminar zabítvernichten aflive; gøre det af med σκοτώνω ζώαmatar,abatir hävitama کشتن؛ هلاک کردن tappaatuer לְהָמִית मार डालना ubiti, potamaniti (el)pusztít membunuh eyða, drepauccidere 殺す 죽이다 naikinti iznīcināt binasakandodendrepe,avlive,destruereniszczyć وژل exterminar a omorîуничтожать zabiť pokončati ubiti döda, avliva, ta död på ฆ่าöldürmek, itlâf etmek 消滅 винищувати جان سے مارنا giết消灭

deˈstroyer noun

a type of small fast warship.naval destroyers. torpedojaer مُدَمِّر разрушител contratorpedeiro torpédoborec der Zerstörer destroyer αντιτορπιλικόdestructor hävitaja ناوشکن؛ ویرانگر hävittäjäcontre-torpilleurמשחתת ध्वंसक razarač, uništavalac (torpedó)romboló kapal perusak tundurspillircacciatorpediniere 駆逐艦 구축함 eskadrinis minininkas eskadras mīnu kuģis pemusnahtorpedojagerdestroyer,torpedojager niszczyciel ویرانوگری contratorpedeiro distrugător эсминец torpédoborec rušilec razarač jagare เรือพิฆาตเล็ก destroyer 驅逐艦 руйнівник; винищувач ایک چھوٹا تیز رفتار لڑاکو جہاز tàu khu trục驱逐舰

destroy

→يُدَمِّرُ ničit ødelæggezerstörenκαταστρέφωdestruir tuhotadétruire uništitidistruggere 破壊する 파괴하다verwoestenødeleggezniszczyćdestruirуничтожать förstöra ทำลายyok etmek phá hủy破坏

destroy

vt. destruir, aniquilar; arruinar.

destroy

vt destruir

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The vice and evil which is inherent in each is the destruction of each; and if this does notdestroy them there is nothing else that will; for good certainly will notdestroy them, nor again, that which is neither good nor evil.

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"We only try todestroy them, because we're spiritually provided for.

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The number of humble-bees in any district depends in a great degree on the number of field-mice, whichdestroy their combs and nests; and Mr.

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And he who becomes master of a city accustomed to freedom and does notdestroy it, may expect to bedestroyed by it, for in rebellion it has always the watchword of liberty and its ancient privileges as a rallying point, which neither time nor benefits will ever cause it to forget.

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Destroy my desires, eradicate my ideals, show me something better, and I will follow you.

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And at Rhodes the demagogues, by distributing of bribes, prevented the people from paying the trierarchs what was owing to them, who were obliged by the number of actions they were harassed with to conspire together anddestroy the popular state.

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"Perhaps not," said the Scarecrow, "for we mean todestroy her."

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Sun Tzu said: In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter anddestroy it is not so good.

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They went away even before the battle of Borodino and still more rapidly after it, despite Rostopchin's calls to defend Moscow or the announcement of his intention to take the wonder-working icon of the Iberian Mother of God and go to fight, or of the balloons that were todestroy the French, and despite all the nonsense Rostopchin wrote in his broadsheets.

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ought we not to fear and reverence him more than all the rest of the world: and if we desert him shall we notdestroy and injure that principle in us which may be assumed to be improved by justice and deteriorated by injustice;--there is such a principle?

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"It's dreadful to think of all her lovely fairy country beingdestroyed. I wonder if we couldn't manage to escape and get back to Kansas by means of the Magic Belt?

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The Wolf, now that he had the opportunity, fell upon the sheep, anddestroyed the greater part of the flock.

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