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
If half or more of the 150,000 unaccounted-for Sudanese civilians in El Fasher are dead, as is widely believed by many analysts, the RSF would have killed more people in a few weeks than in one of the most destructive wars in recent years, which lasted two years.
—
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Dec. 2025
This storm follows a series of destructive winter events that already affected holiday travel and daily life, adding further complications in regions recovering from prior storms.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Set during the dying days of pre-recession indulgence at an elite Scottish university, the book follows Charlotte, a hopeless romantic with a destructive streak, and Esmé, an enigmatic rich girl with a tragic past.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
Trump’s action will feed America’s destructive use of oil, while hamstringing us in the green tech race against Chinese and other foreign carmakers.
—Clara McMichael, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
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Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Dec. 2025
This storm follows a series of destructive winter events that already affected holiday travel and daily life, adding further complications in regions recovering from prior storms.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Set during the dying days of pre-recession indulgence at an elite Scottish university, the book follows Charlotte, a hopeless romantic with a destructive streak, and Esmé, an enigmatic rich girl with a tragic past.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
Trump’s action will feed America’s destructive use of oil, while hamstringing us in the green tech race against Chinese and other foreign carmakers.
—Clara McMichael, ABC News, 3 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 8 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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