destroy

de·stroy

verb \di-ˈstrȯi, dē-\

Definition of DESTROY

transitive verb

1

: to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of <destroyed the files>; also : to ruin as if by tearing to shreds <their reputation was destroyed>

2

a : to put out of existence : kill <destroy an injured horse>

b : neutralize <the moon destroys the light of the stars>

c : annihilate, vanquish <armies had been crippled but not destroyed — W. L. Shirer>

intransitive verb

: to cause destruction

Examples of DESTROY

1. Eventually our problems with money destroyed our marriage.
2. All the files were deliberately destroyed.
3. The disease destroys the body's ability to fight off illness.
4. The bomb blast destroyed the village.
5. The dog had to be destroyed since its owner could not prevent it from attacking people.

Origin of DESTROY

Middle English, from Anglo-French destroy-, destrui-, stem of destrure, from Vulgar Latin *destrugere, alteration of Latin destruere, from de- + struere to build — more at structure

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to DESTROY

Synonyms

annihilate, cream, decimate, demolish, desolate, devastate, do in, extinguish, nuke, pull down, pulverize, raze, rub out, ruin, shatter, smash, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack, wreck

Antonyms

build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear, set up

Related Words

beat, best, clobber, conquer, crush, defeat, drub, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), rout, scotch, skunk, subdue, surmount, thrash, trim, triumph (over), trounce, wallop, whip, win (against); blast, blow up, break, cripple, damage, deface, deteriorate, disfigure, disintegrate, dissolve, dynamite, harm, impair, injure, mangle, mar, mutilate, spoil, vitiate; erode, scour, sweep (away), wash out, wear (away); dilapidate, disassemble, dismantle, gut, take down, unbuild, undo, unmake; blot out, efface, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, remove, root (out), snuff (out), stamp (out), wipe out; despoil, havoc, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, trample, trash, vandalize; assassinate, butcher, cut down, dispatch, execute, fell, kill, kill off, massacre, mow (down), murder, slaughter, slay, take out, zap

Near Antonyms

doctor, fix, mend, patch, recondition, repair, revamp; create, invent; assemble, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, mold, produce, shape; bring about, constitute, establish, father, found, institute, organize; conserve, preserve, protect, save; rebuild, reconstruct, remodel, renovate, restore

Rhymes with DESTROY

ahoy, alloy, annoy, bad boy, ball boy, batboy, B-boy, beachboy, bellboy, bell buoy, best boy, big boy, bok choy, borzoi, boy toy, busboy, callboy, carboy, charpoy, choirboy, convoy, cowboy, decoy, deploy, doughboy, employ, enjoy, envoy, flyboy, footboy, Hanoi, hautbois, highboy, homeboy, houseboy, killjoy, Khoikhoi, life buoy, linkboy, lowboy, McCoy, newsboy, old boy, page boy, playboy, plowboy, po'boy, postboy, potboy, Quemoy, Rob Roy, Saint Croix, Savoy, schoolboy, sepoy, stock boy, tallboy, tatsoi, teapoy, Tolstoy, tomboy, travois, viceroy