destroy

From Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrugō, from Classical Latin dēstruō, from dē- (“un-, de-”) + struō (“I build”). Displaced native shend (“destroy, injure”).

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɔɪ
• Hyphenation: de‧stroy

destroy (third-person singular simple present destroys, present participle destroying, simple past and past participle destroyed)

1. (transitive) To damage beyond use or repair.

   The earthquake destroyed several apartment complexes.

2. (intransitive) To cause destruction.

   Hooligans destroy unprovoked.

3. (transitive) To neutralize, undo a property or condition.

   Smoking destroys the natural subtlety of the palate.

4. (transitive) To put down or euthanize.

   Destroying a rabid dog is required by law.

5. (transitive) To severely disrupt the well-being of (a person); ruin.

   Her divorce destroyed her; she had a nervous breakdown and was severely depressed for more than a year.

   • 2005, Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide

     Other girls in the foster home are eager to destroy her and get her kicked out of the place. It's a tough situation.

6. (colloquial, transitive) To defeat soundly.
7. (computing, transitive) To remove data.

   The memory leak happened because we forgot to destroy the temporary lists.

8. (US, colloquial, slang) To sing a song poorly.
   • 2001, Jeff Nathanson, Rush Hour 2‎, New Line Cinema:

     JAMES CARTER: The man's destroying a classic!

• annihilate
• break
• demolish
• kill
• ruin
• waste
• See also Thesaurus:destroy

• build
• construct
• create
• make
• raise
• repair

• stroyed