DESTROY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does destroy mean? 

• DESTROY (verb)
  The verb DESTROY has 4 senses:

1. do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

2. destroy completely; damage irreparably

3. defeat soundly and humiliatingly

4. put (an animal) to death

  Familiarity information: DESTROY used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DESTROY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they destroy    ... he / she / it destroys   
Past simple: destroyed   
Past participle: destroyed   
-ing form: destroying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

destroy; destruct

Context example:

The fire destroyed the house

Hypernyms (to "destroy" is one way to...):

undo; unmake (deprive of certain characteristics)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "destroy"):

demyelinate (destroy the myelin sheath of)

dilapidate (bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin by neglect or misuse)

eradicate; exterminate; extirpate; root out; uproot (destroy completely, as if down to the roots)

dismantle; level; pull down; rase; raze; take down; tear down (tear down so as to make flat with the ground)

break apart; break up; disassemble; dismantle; take apart (take apart into its constituent pieces)

demolish (ruin or destroy)

demolish; pulverise; pulverize (destroy completely)

interdict (destroy by firepower, such as an enemy's line of communication)

sweep away; wipe out (eliminate completely and without a trace)

fracture (interrupt, break, or destroy)

end (put an end to)

destruct (destroy (one's own missile or rocket))

self-destroy; self-destruct (do away with oneself or itself)

do away with; eliminate; extinguish; get rid of (terminate, end, or take out)

kill (destroy a vitally essential quality of or in)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

destroyer (a small fast lightly armored but heavily armed warship)

destroyer (a person who destroys or ruins or lays waste to)

destructible (easily destroyed)

destruction (the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists)

destructive (causing destruction or much damage)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Destroy completely; damage irreparably

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

destroy; ruin

Context example:

The tears ruined her make-up

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "destroy"):

bust up; wrack; wreck (smash or break forcefully)

wash out (wear or destroy by the force of water)

kick down; kick in (open violently)

shipwreck (destroy a ship)

consume (destroy completely)

explode (destroy by exploding)

despoil; plunder; rape; spoil; violate (destroy and strip of its possession)

devour; subvert (destroy completely)

do a job on (destroy completely or make ugly or useless)

vandalise; vandalize (destroy wantonly, as through acts of vandalism)

break; bust (ruin completely)

break (find a flaw in)

harry; ravage (make a pillaging or destructive raid on (a place), as in wartimes)

desolate; devastate; lay waste to; ravage; scourge; waste (cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly)

burn; burn down; fire (destroy by fire)

get (overcome or destroy)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

destroyer (a small fast lightly armored but heavily armed warship)

destroyer (a person who destroys or ruins or lays waste to)

destructible (easily destroyed)

destruction (the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists)

destruction (an event (or the result of an event) that completely destroys something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Defeat soundly and humiliatingly

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

demolish; destroy

Context example:

The home team demolished the visitors

Hypernyms (to "destroy" is one way to...):

defeat; get the better of; overcome (win a victory over)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "destroy"):

swallow (engulf and destroy)

cut to ribbons (defeat totally)

smash (overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The fighter managed to destroy his opponent

Sense 4

Meaning:

Put (an animal) to death

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

destroy; put down

Context example:

the sick cat had to be put down

Hypernyms (to "destroy" is one way to...):

kill (cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

He might have waited and destroyed our work more effectually when we had more accomplished.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Emphysema, usually associated with cigarette smoking, is a chronic disease in which lung tissue is destroyed and unable to effectively transfer oxygen in the body.

(Study finds link between long-term exposure to air pollution and emphysema, National Institutes of Health)

A modified cold virus that selectively grows in and destroys certain types of cancer cells and leaves normal cells undamaged.

(ONYX-015, NCI Dictionary)

Nuclear Medicine is the branch of medicine that uses radioactive materials either to image a patient's body or to destroy diseased cells.

(Nuclear medicine, NCI Thesaurus)

A rare disorder in which red blood cells are easily destroyed by certain immune system proteins.

(Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, NCI Dictionary)

A family of substances capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of bacteria.

(Antibacterial Agent, NCI Thesaurus)

Then will we destroy them, even Ivan.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Neutrophils are important phagocytotic leukocytes (white blood cells) that internalize and destroy infectious bacteria by a respiratory burst of reactive oxygen species and by enzymatic digestion.

(Neutrophil Surface Molecule Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

But I wish to call your attention very particularly to the position of this house, in the garden of which the bust was destroyed.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Agents that destroy bone marrow activity.

(Myeloablative Agonist, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)