English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle French destructif, from Latin destructivus, from past participle of destruere (to tear down, destroy) + -ivus.

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) IPA(key): /dɪˈstɹʌktɪv/, /dɪˈstɹʊktɪv/
  • (file)

Adjective edit

destructive (comparative more destructive, superlative most destructive)

  1. Causing destruction; damaging.
    • 2013 February 14, Scott Tobias, “Film: Reviews: A Good Day To Die Hard”, in The Onion AV Club[1]:
      After rescuing his estranged daughter in the last film, Live Free Or Die Hard, Willis heads to Russia to rescue his estranged son (Jai Courtney), a CIA agent on a mission to protect a whistleblower (Sebastian Koch) from a corrupt government official (Sergei Kolesnikov) with no shortage of destructive resources at his disposal.
  2. Causing breakdown or disassembly.
    Catabolism is a destructive metabolism that involves the breakdown of molecules and release of energy.
  3. (computing) Lossy; causing irreversible change.
    Blurring an image is a destructive operation, but rotating an image is not.

Synonyms edit

Antonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

French edit

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

destructive

  1. feminine singular of destructif

Latin edit

Adjective edit

dēstrūctīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of dēstrūctīvus