destroy

verb

(ambitransitive) To damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist.

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

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

(transitive, informal) To utterly defeat; to crush.

(transitive, computing) To remove data.

(transitive) To put down or euthanize.

(transitive, bodybuilding, slang, antiphrasis) To exhaust completely and thus recreate or build up.

(transitive, slang) To eat food quickly, hungrily or completely.

(transitive, US, slang) To sing a song extremely poorly.

(transitive, slang, vulgar) To penetrate sexually in an aggressive way.

Roots

struo-stroy · Latin · build

Synonyms for destroy

demolishv ruinn annihilatev devastatev decimatev ravagen exterminatev razev killv dismantlev underminev eradicatev unmakev shatterv spoilv

Synonyms & related words for destroy

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of destroy — including demolish, ruin, annihilate, devastate, decimate, ravage. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to destroy

Explore words related to destroy — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include destruct, obliterate, stroy, ruinable, obliterative, destructionist, obliterator, destruction. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for destroy

Common synonyms for destroy include demolish, ruin, annihilate, devastate, decimate, ravage, exterminate, raze — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does destroy come from?

The word destroy breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -stroy, from Latin struo (“build”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.