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

• annihilatory
• calamitous
• cataclysmal
• cataclysmic
• devastating
• devastative
• disastrous
• ruinous

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

Standard treatments, while often effective, can be destructive for people with decades of life ahead of them, potentially leading to life-altering physical changes, like permanently needing a colostomy bag or enduring early menopause and infertility. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 13 Feb. 2025

Her research studies behavioral ethics, workplace exclusion, and destructive and conflictive work behavior and relationships. —Harvard Business Review, 11 Feb. 2025

Cal Fire ranked the CZU fire 14th out of 20 of the most destructive California wildfires. —John Carr, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025

In many cases, destructive behavior could be a coping mechanism for the stress of being left alone. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing destructive

• destructive distillation
• self-destructive

Kids 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