destroy

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #1207

Meanings

1

verb
To damage something so badly that it no longer exists or cannot be used.

The fire destroyed the entire house.
2

verb
To completely defeat someone, especially in a game or competition.

Their team destroyed ours in the final.
3

verb
To kill an animal because it is sick, dangerous or unwanted.

The dog had to be destroyed after the attack.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to damage something so... destruct

3 verb · to kill an animal because... put down

More aerosolizeannihilate atomizebenothingbewreck blotto break dash decompose demolish desolate devastate

Opposites

build construct create make produce raise rebuild recover repair

Word family

Forms destroyeddestroyingdestroys

Derived forms destroyabilitydestroyabledestroyaldestroyerdestroyinglydownstroyredestroyundestroyundestroyed

Related forms destructdestructible destruction destructive

Simplified etymology

Destroy entered Middle English through Old French from Latin destruere, formed from de- expressing reversal and struere “build.” Its literal construction therefore suggests undoing what has been built.

Etymology

From Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrugō, from Classical Latin dēstruō, from dē- (“un-, de-”) + struō (“to build”).

*strew- Proto-Indo-European destroyen Middle English destruire Old French *destrugō la-vul dēstruō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# destroy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 1207

## Meanings
1. To damage something so badly that it no longer exists or cannot be used.
2. To completely defeat someone, especially in a game or competition.
3. To kill an animal because it is sick, dangerous or unwanted.

## Examples
- The fire destroyed the entire house.
- Their team destroyed ours in the final.
- The dog had to be destroyed after the attack.

## Synonyms
- aerosolize
- annihilate
- atomize
- benothing
- bewreck
- blotto
- break
- dash
- decompose
- demolish
- desolate
- devastate

## Antonyms
- build
- construct
- create
- make
- produce
- raise
- rebuild
- recover
- repair

## Derived Forms
- destroyability
- destroyable
- destroyal
- destroyer
- destroyingly
- downstroy
- redestroy
- undestroy
- undestroyed

## Related Forms
- destruct
- destructible
- destruction
- destructive

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *strew-
- Root: destroyen
- Root: destruire
- Root: *destrugō
- Root: dēstruō

## Etymology
From Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrugō, from Classical Latin dēstruō, from dē- (“un-, de-”) + struō (“to build”).

## AI Etymology
destroy comes from Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrugō, from Classical Latin dēstruō, from dē- (“un-, de-”) + struō (“to build”). The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *strew-, Middle English destroyen, Old French destruire, la-vul *destrugō, Latin dēstruō. Current senses include to damage something so badly that it no longer exists or cannot be used and to completely defeat someone, especially in a game or competition. English relatives and later formations include destroyability, destroyable, destroyal, destruct, destructible.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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