destroy

destroy
verb
1 damage sth so badly that it no longer exists
ADVERB
▪ completely, entirely, totally, utterly
▪ all but, almost, effectively, nearly, practically, virtually
▪

Their lives have been virtually destroyed by this tragedy.

▪ largely
▪ partially, partly
▪ eventually, ultimately
▪

Our greed may ultimately destroy the planet.

▪ systematically
▪

The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.

▪ single-handedly
▪

That guy just single-handedly destroyed everything we've worked for.

▪ easily
▪ for ever, permanently
▪ immediately, instantly
▪

The bomb hit, instantly destroying the building.

▪ quickly, rapidly
▪ slowly
▪

Depression and despair slowly destroyed his life.

▪ deliberately
▪ accidentally, inadvertently
▪ physically
▪

He physically destroyed the computer by smashing it to pieces.

▪ literally
▪

The earthquake literally destroyed their villages.

▪ by fire
▪

The building was destroyed by fire last year.

VERB + DESTROY
▪ can, could, etc.
▪

Drugs can destroy the 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.

2 kill an animal
ADVERB
▪ humanely
PHRASES
▪ have to be destroyed
▪

The horse fell and had to be destroyed.

Destroy is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑blast, ↑bomb, ↑cyclone, ↑earthquake, ↑explosion, ↑fire, ↑hurricane, ↑landslide, ↑locust, ↑missile, ↑tornado, ↑typhoon, ↑vandal, ↑virus
Destroy is used with these nouns as the object: ↑aircraft, ↑army, ↑bacteria, ↑base, ↑bridge, ↑building, ↑camp, ↑capitalism, ↑cell, ↑chance, ↑civilization, ↑competition, ↑confidence, ↑country, ↑credibility, ↑crop, ↑defence, ↑dignity, ↑document, ↑dog, ↑earth, ↑economy, ↑effectiveness, ↑embryo, ↑empire, ↑enemy, ↑essence, ↑evidence, ↑evil, ↑fabric, ↑faith, ↑file, ↑flavour, ↑fleet, ↑forest, ↑foundation, ↑friendship, ↑germ, ↑habitat, ↑heritage, ↑home, ↑hope, ↑illusion, ↑industry, ↑integrity, ↑liberty, ↑livelihood, ↑mankind, ↑missile, ↑monster, ↑monument, ↑morale, ↑myth, ↑negative, ↑neighbourhood, ↑nest, ↑network, ↑ozone, ↑planet, ↑property, ↑record, ↑regime, ↑relationship, ↑reputation, ↑ship, ↑symmetry, ↑system, ↑tank, ↑target, ↑trust, ↑unity, ↑vegetation, ↑vestige, ↑wall, ↑world

Collocations dictionary. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Destroy 2 — Also known as Eye Chew Origin Osaka, Japan Genres Noise rock Hardcore punk Years active 1995–1996 …   Wikipedia

  • Destroy! — Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota Genres Crust punk, grindcore Years active 1988–1994 Labels Havoc Records …   Wikipedia

  • destroy — [ dɛstrɔj ] adj. inv. • 1982; d apr. l angl. to destroy « ravager » ♦ Fam. Dans un état second (ivre, drogué). ⇒ cassé. « l aura destroy des Sex Pistols » (Libération, 1994). Look destroy, à base de vêtements trop larges, déchirés ou usés. ●… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Destroy — may refer to: Destroy (physics), Matter is not created and not destroyed. Destroy (album), a 2004 album by Ektomorf Destroy!, a Minneapolis Crust punk band Destroy!!, a comic book by Scott McCloud, published in the 1980s by Eclipse Comics GFAS X1 …   Wikipedia

  • destroy — I (efface) verb abort, annihilate, blast, blight, blot out, break to pieces, bring to ruin, burn, consume, corrode, deal destruction, decimate, deface, demolish, desolate, destruct, destruere, devastate, devour, diruere, disintegrate, dissolve,… …   Law dictionary

  • Destroy — De*stroy , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Destroyed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Destroying}.] [OE. destroien, destruien, destrien, OF. destruire, F. d[ e]truire, fr. L. destruere, destructum; de + struere to pile up, build. See {Structure}.] 1. To unbuild; to pull… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • destroy — destroy, demolish, raze mean to pull or tear down. Destroy is so general in its application that it may imply the operation of any force that wrecks, kills, crushes, or annihilates {idestroy a nest of caterpillars} {destroy affection} {a building …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • destroy — [di stroi′] vt. [ME destroien < OFr destruire < L destruere < de , down + struere, to build: see STRUCTURE] 1. to tear down; demolish 2. to break up or spoil completely; ruin 3. to bring to total defeat; crush 4. to put an end to; do… …   English World dictionary

  • destroy — {{/stl 13}}{{stl 7}}[wym. destroj] {{/stl 7}}{{stl 8}}rz. mnż ndm {{/stl 8}}{{stl 7}} młodzieżowy styl bycia cechujący się wprowadzanymi celowo elementami bałaganu, nieładu; artystyczny nieład : {{/stl 7}}{{stl 10}}Destroy, czyli artystyczny… …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • destroy — (v.) early 13c., from O.Fr. destruire (12c., Mod.Fr. détruire) destroy, ravage, lay waste, from V.L. *destrugere (Cf. It. distruggere), refashioned (influenced by destructus), from L. destruere tear down, demolish, lit. un build, from de un ,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • destroy — [v] demolish, devastate abort, annihilate, annul, axe*, blot out, break down, butcher*, consume, cream*, crush, damage, deface, desolate, despoil, dismantle, dispatch, end, eradicate, erase, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, gut*, impair, kill …   New thesaurus

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”