Definition of destroy - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
physical damagedamage something beyond repair or existence
- The hurricane destroyed the small village.
2.
end existencecause something to cease to exist
- The fire will destroy the entire forest..
3.
ruin lifeUS severely disrupt a person's well-beingUS
- The scandal destroyed his career.
4.
veterinaryUK put down or euthanize an animalUK
- The vet had to destroy the rabid dog.
5.
technologyremove data in computing
- The virus destroyed all the files on the computer.
6.
scienceneutralize or undo a property or condition
- The antidote destroyed the poison's effects.
Expressions with destroy
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end relationships or connections between people
His harsh words could destroy bridges with his colleagues.
ruin any possibility of success
His rude comment could destroy his chances of getting the job.
damage someone's good name or standing
One scandalous article could destroy his reputation in the conservative community.
make someone lose hope or confidence completely
The constant criticism destroyed his morale at work.
eliminate all competitors
The company aims to destroy the competition through aggressive marketing.
eliminate proof of wrongdoing
The suspect tried to destroy the evidence before the police arrived.
end the life of an animal with as little pain as possible
The vet had to humanely destroy the injured horse.
aggressive approach to eliminate a problem or obstacle
The team launched a search and destroy mission against the bugs.
engage in actions leading to one's downfall
She tends to self-destroy by doubting her abilities.
military operation to find and eliminate targets
The unit was sent on a seek and destroy mission.
military mission to find and eliminate enemies
The unit was sent on a search-and-destroy last night.
Origin of destroy
Latin, destruere (tear down)
Terms with destroy included in their meaning
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destruction
destroy something completely or make it unusable
construction
destroy physical walls in a building or structure
force entry
forcefully open or destroy gates
fire
destroy or damage by fire
destruction
destroy by setting on fire
paper destruction
destroy by passing through a shredding machine
document destruction
destroy a document by cutting into strips
destruction
destroy something by hitting it hard
break destroy
break something completely into many small parts
physical destruction
destroy something by pulling it into pieces
destroy object
break something into many small pieces
destroy
rip something into small pieces
action
destroy or extinguish forcefully
disturbance
destroy the peace or tranquility of a place
eradicate
eliminate or destroy
destruction
destroy completely with an explosion
destroy explode
break something into many small pieces with great force
relationship
destroy relationships or connections permanently
figurative
destroy completely leaving nothing but remnants
shatter dreams
destroy someone's dreams or aspirations
destroy
break something into small pieces
action
the act of pressing something to destroy its shape
construction
destroy a building or structure completely
change
drastically alter or destroy the structure of
Examples of destroy in a sentence
Floods can destroy entire communities. The hurricane could destroy the entire town. They plan to destroy the old building next week. The betrayal destroyed their friendship. His addiction nearly destroyed his family life. The farmer decided to destroy the sick livestock.
Due to severe illness, they had to destroy the horse. The hacker managed to destroy the database records. A bug in the software destroyed the saved settings. Ultraviolet light can destroy the virus's ability to reproduce. The enzyme destroys the compound's harmful activity.
View all translations of destroy
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:détruire, ruiner, ...
- German:zerstören, einschläfern, ...
- Italian:distruggere, rovinare, ...
- Spanish:destruir, arruinar, ...
- Portuguese:destruir, aniquilar, ...
- Chinese:摧毁, 毁掉, ...
- Japanese:破壊する, 消滅させる, ...
- Arabic:دَمَّرَ, أَفْنَى, ...
- Hebrew:לְהַחְרִיב, לְהַשְׁמִיד, ...
- Russian:разрушать, уничтожить, ...
- Ukrainian:знищувати, руйнувати, ...
- Hindi:नष्ट करना, मिटा देना, ...
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