destructive
Americanadjective
-
tending to destroy; causing destruction or much damage (often followed by of orto ).
a very destructive windstorm.
- Synonyms:
- deleterious , ruinous
- Antonyms:
- creative
-
tending to overthrow, disprove, or discredit (constructive ).
destructive criticism.
- Synonyms:
- negative , adverse , unfavorable
- Antonyms:
- constructive
adjective
-
causing or tending to cause the destruction (of)
-
intended to disprove or discredit, esp without positive suggestions or help; negative Compare constructive
destructive criticism
Other Word Forms
- destructively adverb
- destructiveness noun
- destructivity noun
- interdestructive adjective
- interdestructively adverb
- interdestructiveness noun
- nondestructive adjective
- nondestructively adverb
- nondestructiveness noun
- overdestructive adjective
- overdestructively adverb
- overdestructiveness noun
- semidestructive adjective
- undestructive adjective
- undestructively adverb
- undestructiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of destructive
First recorded in 1480–90; from Middle French, from Late Latin dēstructīvus, from Latin dēstruct(us) “demolished, torn down” ( destruction ) + -īvus -ive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more deadly and more destructive due to climate change fuelled by human activity, according to scientists.
From Barron's
"Microglia are not simply destructive responders in Alzheimer's disease -- they can become the brain's protectors," explained Anne Schaefer, the senior author of the research and leader of the project.
From Science Daily
The "very destructive core" of the cyclone has moved away from the Northern Territory, but heavy rain and winds will persist Sunday, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Angus Hines said.
From Barron's
Head, who has opened nine times previously in Test cricket, quickly got into his destructive rhythm, crunching some lovely boundaries including big sixes off Carse and Mark Wood.
From Barron's
Yet, however destructive to his personal life, Matthiessen’s restive, yearning nature animated the best of his fiction.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
