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
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
An insect intercepted amid the belongings of a passenger at Detroit Metro Airport has since been identified as a potentially destructive tropical beetle species.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
Flying squirrels may also take up residence in the attics of homes on occasion, with homeowners recognizing them by sound, according to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, though they are not known to be destructive.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Jack is the selfish lone wolf who becomes part of a team in order to defeat Brass Body, a destructive force whose flesh can transform into metal (played by Dave Bautista).
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
In 2022, only seven other countries joined it in voting against a UN First Committee resolution to halt direct-ascent antisatellite missile tests, which produce destructive space debris.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
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Paula Wethington, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
Flying squirrels may also take up residence in the attics of homes on occasion, with homeowners recognizing them by sound, according to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, though they are not known to be destructive.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Jack is the selfish lone wolf who becomes part of a team in order to defeat Brass Body, a destructive force whose flesh can transform into metal (played by Dave Bautista).
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
In 2022, only seven other countries joined it in voting against a UN First Committee resolution to halt direct-ascent antisatellite missile tests, which produce destructive space debris.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destructive. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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