destroy

verb

de·​stroy di-ˈstrȯi 

dē-

destroyed; destroying; destroys

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

a disease that destroys the body's ability to fight off illness

… destroyed any hope of a return to past crackdowns …

—George Brock

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

… marines have been trained to close with and destroy the enemy. That's what we do.

—Stephen W. Larose

intransitive verb

: to cause ruin or destruction

It is proverbially easier to destroy than to construct …

—T. S. Eliot

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

Examples of destroy in a Sentence

Eventually our problems with money destroyed our marriage.

All the files were deliberately destroyed.

The disease destroys the body's ability to fight off illness.

The bomb blast destroyed the village.

The dog had to be destroyed since its owner could not prevent it from attacking people.

Recent Examples on the Web

That election in 2006 occurred with full knowledge of the Hamas platform--to undermine the peace process, destroy Israel and exterminate the Jews. —Bradley Gitz, arkansasonline.com, 13 Nov. 2023

His antics have destroyed billions of dollars in shareholder value, alienated advertisers, and driven away users in droves. —Robert B. Tucker, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

In the 21st century, however, automation is not only destroying or devaluing working-class jobs, but those of people much further up the career pyramid. —Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 12 Nov. 2023

Our galaxy will eventually destroy two small nearby galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, which are screaming across space in our direction. —WIRED, 12 Nov. 2023

Nonstop aerial bombardment has destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed thousands of children; Israeli evacuation orders have forced hundreds of thousands into tent cities or overcrowded apartments far from home. —Boris Kachka, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023

Seoul is destroyed, and maybe the rest of South Korea, too. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2023

And in time, the mainstream adoption of sending bots to meetings might destroy work relationships, hurt more vulnerable employees, and corrode office culture. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2023

Last week, an Israeli airstrike destroyed an ambulance near the hospital that the Israeli military said was being used to transport Hamas fighters. —Neil Collier, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

destroy

verb

de·​stroy di-ˈstrȯi 

1

: to put an end to : do away with : ruin

2

: kill entry 1 sense 1, slaughter