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
Robotic dogs and militant imagery stand in for violence and human invention turned destructive.
—
David Hochman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Some Cosmists saw technology as destructive and transformative, while others believed its role should be to protect and preserve.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025
Effectively, this turned the workspace into a yank buffer along with all your documents, and undoing any destructive editing operation thus became merely another cut and paste.
—Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Unlike traditional explosive ordnance, the railgun relies on pure kinetic energy for destructive effect, firing inert projectiles at hypersonic speed.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
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David Hochman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Some Cosmists saw technology as destructive and transformative, while others believed its role should be to protect and preserve.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025
Effectively, this turned the workspace into a yank buffer along with all your documents, and undoing any destructive editing operation thus became merely another cut and paste.
—Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Unlike traditional explosive ordnance, the railgun relies on pure kinetic energy for destructive effect, firing inert projectiles at hypersonic speed.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 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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