english
1
general::
destroy
nouns
destroy the evidence
(= deliberately destroy evidence of a crime )
• They set light to the car to destroy the evidence.
destroy the environment
• Some of these companies are polluting and destroying the environment.
destroy the world/planet
• No one wants another war, which might destroy the world.
destroy sb’s career
• She made one bad mistake and it destroyed her career.
destroy sb’s reputation
• The scandal destroyed his reputation.
destroy the character of something
• New buildings have destroyed much of the character of the area.
destroy sb’s hopes
• Losing the game destroyed the team’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
destroy sb’s confidence
• When he failed his degree, it completely destroyed his confidence.
adverbs
completely/totally destroy something
• The plane was completely destroyed when it hit a mountain.
partially destroy something
• The Great Fire of 1666 partially destroyed the prison.
phrases
be destroyed by fire/a bomb/earthquake etc
• The building was destroyed by fire in 2004.
transnet.ir
2
general::
destroy
to damage something so badly that it no longer exists or cannot be used or repaired:
• The earthquake almost completely destroyed the city. • The twin towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack.
devastate
to damage a large area very badly and destroy many things in it:
• Allied bombings in 1943 devastated the city. • The country’s economy has been devastated by years of fighting.
demolish
to completely destroy a building, either deliberately or by accident:
• The original 15th century house was demolished in Victorian times. • The plane crashed into a suburb of Paris, demolishing several buildings.
flatten
to destroy a building or town by knocking it down, bombing it etc, so that nothing is left standing:
• The town centre was flattened by a 500 lb bomb.
wreck
to deliberately damage something very badly, especially a room or building:
• The toilets had been wrecked by vandals. • They just wrecked the place.
trash
informal to deliberately destroy a lot of the things in a room, house etc:
• Apparently, he trashed his hotel room while on drugs.
obliterate
formal to destroy a place so completely that nothing remains:
• The nuclear blast obliterated most of Hiroshima.
reduce something to ruins/rubble/ashes
to destroy a building or town completely:
• The town was reduced to rubble in the First World War.
ruin
to spoil something completely, so that it cannot be used or enjoyed:
• Fungus may ruin the crop. • The new houses will ruin the view.
Longman-Thesaurus
3
general::
verb
crush:
We shall destroy the enemy.
verb
demolished:
The car was destroyed by an accident., verb
ruined:
Her career was destroyed by her lie.
Simple Definitions
4
general::
verb damage sth so badly that it no longer exists ADV. completely, entirely, totally, utterly | all but, almost, effectively, practically, virtually Their lives have been virtually destroyed by this tragedy. | largely | partly | systematically The rainforest is being systematically destroyed. | by fire The building was destroyed by fire last year. VERB + DESTROY can/could Drugs can destroy the health and lives of young people. | threaten to This disease threatens to destroy many of our native trees. PHRASES an attempt to destroy sth a new attempt to destroy enemy positions | be capable of destroying sth These weapons are capable of destroying the entire planet. | be intent on destroying sth She seemed intent on destroying everything they had built up together. kill an animal ADV. humanely PHRASES have to be destroyed The horse broke a leg and had to be destroyed.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary