destructive
Adjective
- causing destruction or much damage
- "a policy that is destructive to the economy"
- "destructive criticism"
Adj
- Causing destruction; damaging.
- Causing breakdown or disassembly.
- Lossy; causing irreversible change.
Examples
- Blurring an image is a destructive operation, but rotating an image is not.
- Catabolism is a destructive metabolism that involves the breakdown of molecules and release of energy.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle French destructif, from Latin destructivus, from past participle of destruere (“to tear down, destroy”) + -ivus.
Synonyms
calamitous, catastrophic, devastating, disastrous, eradicative, harmful, pernicious, ruinous, wrackful, wreckful
Antonyms
constructive, non-destructive, nondestructive, productive
Scrabble Score: 17
destructive: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Worddestructive: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
destructive: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary