destructive

adjective

de·​struc·​tive di-ˈstrək-tiv 

1

: causing destruction : ruinous

destructive storm

2

: designed or tending to hurt or destroy

destructive criticism

destructively adverb

destructiveness noun

Synonyms of destructive

• devastating
• disastrous
• devastative

Examples of destructive in a Sentence

It was one of the most destructive storms in recent memory.

She argued that the law was destructive of personal liberties.

The school is concerned about the destructive behavior of a few students.

Recent Examples on the Web

One way to understand why decoherence happens is to compare the number of possibilities for constructive and destructive interference. — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Claude had been instructed never to log in, create accounts, enter personal information, make purchases or submit anything destructive. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Amid unusual heat and unrelenting winds, hundreds of firefighters worked to contain several small, but destructive fires that ignited across Southern California. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Kent said embers from burning homes can ignite nearby properties, allowing fires to spread from one structure to another and potentially contribute to larger, more destructive blazes. — Steve Large, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing destructive

• destructive distillation
• self-destructive

Rhymes for destructive

• abductive
• conductive
• constructive
• deductive
• inductive
• instructive
• obstructive
• productive
• reductive
• seductive
• counterproductive
• photoconductive

Kids Definition

destructive

adjective

de·​struc·​tive di-ˈstrək-tiv 

1

: causing destruction : ruinous

a destructive storm

2

: designed or tending to hurt or destroy

destructive criticism

destructively adverb

destructiveness noun