destruction

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪsˈtɹʌkʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #3625

Meanings

1

noun
The act of destroying something, or the state of being destroyed.

The storm caused widespread destruction along the coast.
2

noun
The damage that is left after something has been destroyed.

Amid all the destruction, a single house was left standing.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of destroying... devastation

More annihilation demolition elimination eradication exterminationextinguishmentextirpation obliterationrazinguprooting

Opposites

building construction creation making production rebuilding recovery

Word family

Forms destructions

Derived forms angiodestructionautodestructioncyclodestructioncytodestructiondestructionaldestructionismdestructionistmacrodestructionmegadestructionneurodestructionnondestructionphosphodestruction

Related forms destroy devastation disaster killing

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

wholesale destruction
Destruction affecting a very large area or nearly everything involved.

Adjective + noun

Idioms (1)

See all

creative destruction
the process by which new innovations destroy and replace outdated firms and industries

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English destruccioun, from Old French destrucion, from Latin dēstructiō, dēstructiōnem.

*strew- Proto-Indo-European destruccioun Middle English destrucion Old French destructio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# destruction

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /dɪsˈtɹʌkʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 3625

## Meanings
1. The act of destroying something, or the state of being destroyed.
2. The damage that is left after something has been destroyed.

## Examples
- The storm caused widespread destruction along the coast.
- Amid all the destruction, a single house was left standing.

## Synonyms
- annihilation
- demolition
- elimination
- eradication
- extermination
- extinguishment
- extirpation
- obliteration
- razing
- uprooting

## Antonyms
- building
- construction
- creation
- making
- production
- rebuilding
- recovery

## Derived Forms
- angiodestruction
- autodestruction
- cyclodestruction
- cytodestruction
- destructional
- destructionism
- destructionist
- macrodestruction
- megadestruction
- neurodestruction
- nondestruction
- phosphodestruction

## Related Forms
- destroy
- devastation
- disaster
- killing

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *strew-
- Root: destruccioun
- Root: destrucion
- Root: destructio

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English destruccioun, from Old French destrucion, from Latin dēstructiō, dēstructiōnem.

## AI Etymology
destruction is inherited from Middle English destruccioun, from Old French destrucion, from Latin dēstructiō, dēstructiōnem. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *strew-, Middle English destruccioun, Old French destrucion, Latin destructio. Current senses include The act of destroying something, or the state of being destroyed and The damage that is left after something has been destroyed. English relatives and later formations include angiodestruction, autodestruction, cyclodestruction, destroy, devastation.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown