destroying

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.
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.
5. (informal, transitive) To utterly defeat; to crush.
   • Remember when Germany destroyed Brazil 7–1 in the World Cup?
6. (transitive) To remove data.
   • The memory leak happened because we forgot to destroy the temporary lists.

See all 10 meanings of destroy