destroy

Verb

destroy (third-person singular simple present destroys, present participle destroying, simple past and past participle destroyed)

1. (ambitransitive) To damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist.
   • The earthquake destroyed several apartment complexes.
   • Hooligans destroy unprovoked.
2. (transitive) To neutralize, undo a property or condition.
   • Smoking destroys the natural subtlety of the palate.
3. (transitive) To put down or euthanize.
   • Destroying a rabid dog is required by law.
4. (transitive) To severely disrupt the well-being of (a person); ruin.
   • Her divorce destroyed her; she had a nervous breakdown and was severely depressed for more than a year.
   • Other girls in the foster home are eager to destroy her and get her kicked out of the place. It's a tough situation.2005, Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide
5. (informal, transitive) To utterly defeat; to crush.
   • Remember when Germany destroyed Brazil 7–1 in the World Cup?
   • Growing up, [Kevin] Durant told me, he was a sore loser. That all changed one day when he was 11, after he got destroyed by his father in a game of one on one in the driveway.2012 November 11, Sam Anderson, “The Oklahoma City Thunder's Fairy-Tale Rise”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on...
6. (transitive) To remove data.
   • The memory leak happened because we forgot to destroy the temporary lists.
7. (slang, transitive) To exhaust completely and thus recreate or build up.
   • This exercise is going to destroy all parts of your shoulders.
8. (slang, transitive, vulgar) To penetrate sexually in an aggressive way.
   • She got destroyed by her lover on the carpet.
9. (US, slang, transitive) To sing a song extremely poorly.
   • JAMES CARTER: The man's destroying a classic!2001, Jeff Nathanson, Rush Hour 2, New Line Cinema
10. (slang, transitive) To eat food quickly, hungrily or completely.
    • I could destroy some wings right now.