destructive
adjective
de·struc·tive
di-ˈstrək-tiv 
1
: causing destruction : ruinous
destructive storm
2
: designed or tending to hurt or destroy
destructive criticism
destructively
adverb
destructiveness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of destructive in a Sentence
It was one of the most destructive storms in recent memory.
She argued that the law was destructive of personal liberties.
The school is concerned about the destructive behavior of a few students.
Recent Examples on the Web
Vietnam remains highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, facing increasingly frequent, extreme and destructive weather events.
—
Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Published by Brontë under the pseudonym Ellis Bell a year before her death, Wuthering Heights is set in the Yorkshire moors and revolves around the intense and often destructive relationships between two families: the Earnshaws and the Lintons.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
Many of California’s deadliest and most destructive fires were started by utility equipment.
—Ben Poston, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
New research presented this week at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco has found that young adults are typically diagnosed with colon cancer when the disease is at a later stage compared with older adults, and their cancer is usually more destructive.
—Don Rauf, EverydayHealth.com, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destructive 
Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Published by Brontë under the pseudonym Ellis Bell a year before her death, Wuthering Heights is set in the Yorkshire moors and revolves around the intense and often destructive relationships between two families: the Earnshaws and the Lintons.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
Many of California’s deadliest and most destructive fires were started by utility equipment.
—Ben Poston, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
New research presented this week at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco has found that young adults are typically diagnosed with colon cancer when the disease is at a later stage compared with older adults, and their cancer is usually more destructive.
—Don Rauf, EverydayHealth.com, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destructive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'destructive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near destructive
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destructive. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
destructive
adjective
de·struc·tive
di-ˈstrək-tiv
1
: causing destruction : ruinous
a destructive storm
2
: designed or tending to hurt or destroy
destructive criticism
destructively
adverb
destructiveness
noun
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