destructive

adjective

de·​struc·​tive di-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce destructive (audio)
Synonyms of destructive
1
: causing destruction : ruinous
destructive storm
2
: designed or tending to hurt or destroy
destructive criticism
destructively adverb
destructiveness noun

Synonyms of destructive

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of destructive in a Sentence

It was one of the most destructive storms in recent memory. She argued that the law was destructive of personal liberties. The school is concerned about the destructive behavior of a few students.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What differentiates this wave of sudden wealth syndrome from the dot-com era, DiFuria said, is that people are making money from a technology many consider destructive—including some of the people building it. — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026 In one memorable scene, Mari takes to a whiteboard to explain the destructive workings of capitalism, a lengthy, potentially didactic exercise that Okamoto transforms into an unexpectedly intimate exchange. — Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 Chemistry is a godlike craft, both generative and destructive. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 This was wrong, Walzer insisted—such a principle would encourage aggressors to be as destructive as possible. — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for destructive

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of destructive was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing destructive

Rhymes for destructive

See All Rhymes for destructive

Browse Nearby Words

destructionist
destructive
destructive distillation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destructive. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

destructive

adjective
de·​struc·​tive di-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce destructive (audio)
1
: causing destruction : ruinous
a destructive storm
2
: designed or tending to hurt or destroy
destructive criticism
destructively adverb
destructiveness noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All