destruction

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The act of damaging or ruining something so badly that it no longer exists or works.

   Grammar: Uncountable: the destruction of the bridge, not a destruction.

   Patterns

   • the destruction of something
   • destruction by something

   The storm caused widespread destruction along the coast.

   Scientists warned about the destruction of rainforests.

   The army ordered the destruction of the bridge.

2. 2noununcountable

   The state of being ruined, or the cause of someone's ruin or downfall.

   Grammar: Often with a possessive or after be: his own destruction.

   Patterns

   • lead to someone's destruction
   • be the destruction of someone

   His greed led to his own destruction.

   Gambling proved the destruction of the family business.

   The ruins were a scene of total destruction.

Common combinations

widespread destruction

The flood left widespread destruction.

environmental destruction

Mining led to environmental destruction.

mass destruction

Weapons of mass destruction are banned.

path of destruction

The tornado left a path of destruction.

destruction of evidence

He was charged with destruction of evidence.

Synonyms and how they differ

devastation

Devastation stresses the scale of harm and the empty aftermath, while destruction can name the act itself.

ruin

Ruin often describes the broken state left behind, or financial collapse.

demolition

Demolition is planned, deliberate destruction of buildings.

annihilation

Annihilation means total wiping out, which is stronger than destruction.

Opposites

Word family

destroy verb

to ruin completely

destructive adjective

causing great damage

destroyer noun

a person or thing that destroys

destructively adverb

in a way that causes damage

Commonly confused: destruction or damage? destruction or distraction?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “destruction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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