destruction

de·struc·tion  (d-strkshn)

n.

1.

a. The act of destroying.

b. The condition of having been destroyed.

2. The cause or means of destroying: weapons that could prove to be the destruction of humankind.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin dstrcti, dstrctin-, from dstrctus, past participle of dstruere, to destroy; see destroy.]

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destruction [dɪˈstrʌkʃən]

n

1. the act of destroying or state of being destroyed; demolition

2. a cause of ruin or means of destroying

[from Latin dēstructiō a pulling down; see destroy]

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Destruction of wildcats: a group of wildcats. See also dout.

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Destruction/Destructiveness 

See Also: DISINTEGRATION

1. As killing as the canker to the rose —John Milton
2. (Bones) breaking like hearts —Bin Ramke
3. Break [a person’s spirit] like a biscuit —Beaumont and Fletcher
4. Break like a bursting heart —Percy Bysshe Shelley
5. Break like dead leaves —Richard Howard
6. Cracked like parchment —Sin Ai
7. Cracked like the ice in a frozen daiquiri —Anon
8. (Her projects of happiness … ) crackled in the wind like dead boughs —Gustave Flaubert
9. Crack like walnuts —Rita Mae Brown
10. Crack like wishbones —Diane Ackerman
11. Cracks … like a glass in which the contents turned to ice, and shiver it —Herman Melville
12. [Fender and hood of a car] crumpled like tinfoil —T. Coraghessan Boyle
13. Crushed like an empty beer can —Anon
14. Crushed … like rats in a slate fall —Davis Grubb

    In Grubb’s novel, The Barefoot Man, the simile refers to miners who lost their lives.

15. Crushed like rotten apples —William Shakespeare
16. Crushed me like a grape —Carla Lane, British television sitcom, “Solo,” broadcast, May 19, 1987
17. (And I’ll be) cut up like a pie —Irish ballad
18. Destructive as moths in a woolens closet —Anon
19. [Time’s malevolent effect on body] dragging him down like a bursting sack —Gerald Kersh
20. (The Communists are) eating us away like an old fruit —Janet Flanner
21. (Men) fade like leaves —Aristophanes
22. Flattened her pitiful attempt like a locomotive running on a single track full steam ahead —Cornell Woolrich
23. (Creditors ready to) gnaw him to bits … like maggots at work on a carcass —George Garrett
24. The grass (at Shea Stadium) looked as if it had been attacked by animals that had not grazed for ages —Alex Yannis, New York Times, September 18, 1986

    Yannis, in reporting on the Mets’ winning the National League Eastern Division title, used the simile to describe the fans’ destruction of the playing field.

25. If I do [give up] … I’ll be like a bullfighter gone horn-shy —Loren D. Estleman
26. Like a divorce … goes ripping through our lives —Book jacket copy describing effect of Sharon Sheehe Stark’s novel, A Wrestling Season.
27. Marked for annihilation like an orange scored for peeling —Yehuda Amichai
28. My heroes [Chicago Cubs] had wilted like slugs —George F. Will
29. Pollutes … like ratbite —William Alfred
30. Self-destructing like a third-rate situation comedy —Warren T. Brookes, on Republican party, Wall Street Journal, July 15, 1986
31. Shattered like a walnut shell —Charles Dickens

    In Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, the comparison refers to a broken wine cask.

32. Shatter them like so much glass —Robert Louis Stevenson
33. Shrivel up like some old straw broom —Joyce Carol Oates
34. Snap like dry chicken bones —David Michael
35. [Taut nerves] snap like guy wires in a tornado —Nardi Reeder Campion, New York Times r/raes/Op-Ed, January, 5, 1987
36. (Then the illusion) snapped like a nest of threads —F. Scott Fitzgerald
37. Snapped off [due to frailness] like celery —Lawrence Durrell
38. (Who can accept that spirit can be) snuffed as finally as a flame —Barbara Lazear Ascher, New York Times 77mes/Hers, October 30, 1986
39. They [free-spending wife and daughter] ate holes in me like Swiss cheese —Clifford Odets
40. Wear out their lives, like old clothes —John Cheever
41. Your destruction comes as a whirlwind —The Holy Bible /Proverbs

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A type of adjustment for destroying a given target.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	destruction - the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists devastation ending, termination, conclusion - the act of ending something; "the termination of the agreement" disaster - an act that has disastrous consequences kill - the destruction of an enemy plane or ship or tank or missile; "the pilot reported two kills during the mission" laying waste, ruining, wrecking, ruination, ruin - destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined demolishing, tearing down, leveling, razing - complete destruction of a building annihilation, obliteration - destruction by annihilating something decimation - destroying or killing a large part of the population (literally every tenth person as chosen by lot) self-destruction - the act of destroying yourself; "his insistence was pure self-destruction" neutralisation, neutralization - (euphemism) the removal of a threat by killing or destroying it (especially in a covert operation or military operation) sabotage - a deliberate act of destruction or disruption in which equipment is damaged extermination, liquidation - the act of exterminating holocaust - an act of mass destruction and loss of life (especially in war or by fire); "a nuclear holocaust" demolition - the act of demolishing spoliation - (law) the intentional destruction of a document or an alteration of it that destroys its value as evidence hooliganism, malicious mischief, vandalism - willful wanton and malicious destruction of the property of others
	2.	destruction - an event (or the result of an event) that completely destroys something demolition, wipeout conclusion, ending, finish - event whose occurrence ends something; "his death marked the ending of an era"; "when these final episodes are broadcast it will be the finish of the show" annihilation, disintegration - total destruction; "bomb tests resulted in the annihilation of the atoll" eradication, obliteration - the complete destruction of every trace of something ravage, depredation - (usually plural) a destructive action; "the ravages of time"; "the depredations of age and disease" razing, wrecking - the event of a structure being completely demolished and leveled ruination, ruin - an event that results in destruction wrack, rack - the destruction or collapse of something; "wrack and ruin"
	3.	destruction - a final state; "he came to a bad end"; "the so-called glorious experiment came to an inglorious end" end, death state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state"

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destruction

noun

1. ruin, havoc, wreckage, crushing, wrecking, shattering, undoing, demolition, devastation, annihilation, ruination the extensive destruction caused by the rioters

2. massacre, overwhelming, slaughter, overthrow, extinction, end, downfall, liquidation, obliteration, extermination, annihilation, eradication Our objective was the destruction of the enemy forces.

3. slaughter, slaughtering, putting down, termination, extermination, putting to sleep the destruction of animals infected with foot-and-mouth disease

Translations

destruction [dɪsˈtrʌkʃən] N

1. (gen) → destrucción f (fig) [of reputation] → destrucción f; [of person] → ruina f, perdición f
to test a machine to destruction → someter una máquina a pruebas límite
see also scene A2

2. (= ruins, damage) → destrozos mpl

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destruction [dɪˈstrʌkʃ^ən] n

(= action) → destruction f

(= state) → anéantissement m

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destruction

n

(= destroying, of town, building, hope) → Zerstörung f; (of enemy, people, insects, documents) → Vernichtung f; (of reputation) → Ruinierung f, → Zerstörung f; (of character, soul) → Zerstörung f, → Zersetzung f

(= damage: caused by war, fire) → Verwüstung f, → Zerstörung f

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destruction [dɪsˈtrʌkʃ/ən] n (gen) → distruzione f; (caused by war, fire) → danni mpl

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destruction

n destruction [diˈstrakʃən]

1 the act or process of destroying or being destroyed the destruction of the city. vernieling, verwoesting تَدْمير разрушаване ničení, zkáza ødelæggelse die Zerstörung καταστροφή destrucción hävitamine تخریب؛ انهدام tuhoutuminen destruction הֶרֶס तोड़-फोड़ uništavanje, razaranje (le)rombolás penghancuran eyðilegging distruzione 破壊 파괴 griovimas, naikinimas iznīcināšana; sagraušana kehancuran vernieling ødeleggelse, tilintetgjørelse zniszczenie destruição distrugere, nimicire уничтожение skaza uničevanje razaranje förstörande การทำลาย yok etme, tahrip etme 毀滅 руйнування, знищення انہدام sự tàn phá 毁灭

2 the state of being destroyed; ruin a scene of destruction. verwoesting دَمار разрушение zničení ødelæggelse; ruinering die Zerstörung καταστροφή destrucción hävitustöö نابودی؛ تباهی tuho destruction חוּרבָּן विध्वंसात्मक, भंजक razorenost pusztulás kehancuran eyðilegging distruzione 破壊 멸망 griuvėsiai postījumi kemusnahan vernietiging undergang, ødeleggelse, destruksjon ruina destruição dărâmare разрушение zničenie uničenje destrukcija förstörelse ภาวะที่ถูกทำลาย yıkım, mahvolma 毀壞 розгром; спустошення تباہی کی حالت tình trạng bị phá hủy 毁坏

adj desˈtructive [-tiv]

1 causing or able to cause destruction Small children can be very destructive. vernielsugtig, destruktief مُدَمِّر разрушителен pustošivý ødelæggende zerstörerisch καταστροφικός destructivo lõhkuv ویرانگر؛ خراب کننده tuhoisa destructeur הַרסָנִי विध्वंसकारी destruktivan, koji uništava romboló merusak skaðlegur, eyðileggjandi distruttivo 破壊的な 파괴적인 griaunamasis, griaunantis, naikinantis postošs; iznīcinošs menyebabkan kehancuran vernielzuchtig ødeleggende, destruktiv niszczycielski destrutivo distrugător; capabil să distrugă разрушительный pustošivý, ničivý uničevalen destruktivan destruktiv; เป็นอันตราย kırıp dökücü, tahrip edici 破壞性的 руйнівний, знищувальний تباہ کن tổn thất nghiêm trọng 破坏性的

2 (of criticism etc) pointing out faults etc without suggesting improvements. afbrekende kritiek هَدّام унищожителен destruktivní ødelæggende; destruktiv destruktiv επικριτικός, μη εποικοδομητικός destructivo, corrosivo lammutav غیرسازنده؛ منفی vailla parannusehdotuksia destructif הַרסָנִי यूंही आलोचना koji nije konstruktivan destruktív destruktif niðurdrepandi, niðurrifs- distruttivo 否定的な 부정적인 destruktyvus (par kritiku) iznīcinošs perubahan afbrekend destruktiv, nedbrytende destruktywny destrutivo distruc­tiv деструктивный deštruktívny razdiralen destruktivan nedgörande ซึ่งเป็นการทำลาย yıkıcı 破壞的 згубний, шкідливий تنقید میں صرف نقص نہ کہ اصلاح پر مائل không xây dựng 破坏的

adv deˈstructively

verwoestend بِصورةٍ هَدّامه / مُدَمِّرَه пагубно destruktivně, zhoubně ødelæggende; destruktivt zerstörerisch, destruktiv καταστροφικά de manera destructiva hävitavalt بطور مخرب tuhoisasti de façon destructrice בְּצוּרָה הַרסָנִית विध्वंसकारी रूप से pogubno, razorno rombolóan secara destruktif eyðileggjandi in maniera distruttiva 破壊的に 파괴적으로 destruktyviai iznīcinoši dengan cara menghancurkan vernielzuchtig, afbrekend ødeleggende, nedbrytende destruktywnie destrutivamente (în mod) distructiv разрушительно zhubne uničujoče destruktivno destruktivt เป็นไปในทางทำลาย yıkıcı bir şekilde 破壞性地 руйнівно تباہ کن طور پر phá hoại 破坏性地

n deˈstructiveness

skadelikheid, vernielsug تَدْميرِيَّه، تَخْريب разрушителност ničivost ødelæggelsesevne; destruktivitet die Zerstörungswut καταστροφικότητα carácter destructivo hävitavus ویرانگری tuhoisuus effet/penchant destructeur הַרסָנוּת विनाशकता razorno djelovanje, destruktivnost romboló hatás keadaan merusak eyðileggjandi áhrif/hneigð l'essere distruttivo 破壊性 파괴적임 destruktyvumas, pražūtingumas iznīcināšana kehancuran vernielzucht, vernietigingskracht ødeleggelseslyst; ødeleggende virkning destruktywność, pęd niszczycielski nocividade caracter distructiv разрушительность ničivosť uničevalnost destruktivnost förstörelselusta, fördärvlighet การชอบทำลาย yıkıcılık 破壞性 руйнівність, руйнувальність خراب کاری tính chất phá hoại 破坏性

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destruction → تدمير zničení ødelæggelse Zerstörung καταστροφή destrucción tuho destruction uništenje distruzione 破壊 파괴 verwoesting ødeleggelse zniszczenie destruição разрушение förstörelse การทำลาย imha sự phá hủy 毁灭