destroy
/dɪˈstɹɔɪ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.52 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist.
Example Sentences
- "The earthquake destroyed several apartment complexes."
- "Hooligans destroy unprovoked."
- "Iesus answered, and said vnto them, Destroy this temple, and in three dayes I will raise it vp."
- "Repeated use of this type of [water] on plants results in deflocculation[] of the soil. Good quality soil consists of loose aggregates which provide natural aeration and ease of root run. Sodium accumulation in soil destroys this natural flocculation and causes the soil to pack."
- "Krav is a martial art of last resort that assumes no quarter and focuses purely on disarming, disabling and, if necessary, destroying your opponent."
- "Musk’s Israel tour was transparently transactional and frankly insulting. The antisemitic sentiment Musk endorsed had nothing to do with Israel; “replacement theory” is generally an unsupported allegation that Jews and other immigrants in the US and Europe are destroying Western civilization."
Etymology
From Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrugō, from Classical Latin dēstruō, from dē- (“un-, de-”) + struō (“to build”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
- Transitive verb
- Informal
- Slang
- American usage