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destroy - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | destroy |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | demolish, devastate |
| Synonyms: | abort, annihilate, annul, butcher*, consume, cream*, crush, damage, deface, desolate, despoil, dismantle, dispatch, end, eradicate, erase, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, gut*, impair, kill, level, liquidate, maim, mar, maraud, mutilate, nuke*, nullify, overturn, quash, quell, ravage, ravish, raze, ruin, sabotage, shatter, slay, smash, snuff out*, stamp out, suppress, tear down, total, trash*, vaporize, waste, wax*, wipe out, wreck, zap*, axe, blot out, break down, lay waste, spoliate, swallow up, torpedo* |
| Antonyms: | build, construct, create, improve, repair, restore |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | abolish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | do away with or put an end to |
| Synonyms: | abate, abrogate, annihilate, annul, call off, cancel, destroy, dissolve, end, eradicate, erase, expunge, extinguish, extirpate, finish, inhibit, invalidate, kill, negate, nix, nullify, obliterate, overthrow, overturn, prohibit, quash, repeal, repudiate, rescind, revoke, scrub*, squelch, stamp out, subvert, supersede, suppress, terminate, undo, vacate, vitiate, void, wipe out, zap*, disestablish, put an end to, put kibosh on, put the kibosh on, set aside |
| Antonyms: | confirm, continue, enact, establish, institute, legalize, promote, ratify, support, uphold |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | batter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | strike and damage |
| Synonyms: | assault, bash, beat, break, bruise, buffet, clobber, cripple, crush, dash, deface, demolish, destroy, disable, disfigure, drub, hurt, injure, lacerate, lambaste, lame, lash, mangle, mar, maul, mutilate, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punish, ruin, shatter, smash, thrash, wallop, wreck, contuse |
| Main Entry: | corrode |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wear away; eat away |
| Synonyms: | bite, canker, consume, corrupt, destroy, deteriorate, erode, gnaw, impair, oxidize, rot, rust, scour, waste |
| Antonyms: | aid, build, fortify, help |
| Main Entry: | deaden |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | diminish, muffle, quiet |
| Synonyms: | abate, alleviate, benumb, blunt, check, chloroform, consume, cushion, damp, dampen, depress, deprive, desensitize, destroy, devitalize, dim, dope, drown, dull, exhaust, freeze, frustrate, gas, hush, impair, incapacitate, injure, knock out, lay out, lessen, mute, numb, paralyze, reduce, repress, retard, slow, smother, soften, stifle, stun, stupefy, suppress, tire, tone down, unnerve, weaken, KO, anesthetize, etherize, put out of order, put to sleep, quieten |
| Antonyms: | animate, build, enliven, increase, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | deface |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | mar, mutilate |
| Synonyms: | blemish, contort, damage, deform, demolish, destroy, disfigure, distort, harm, impair, injure, mangle, obliterate, ruin, scratch, spoil, sully, tarnish, trash*, vandalize, wreck, dilapidate, misshape |
| Antonyms: | adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, fix, mend, ornament, repair |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | delete |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | erase, remove |
| Synonyms: | annul, black out, cancel, clean, cut, cut out, decontaminate, destroy, drop, edit, efface, eliminate, exclude, expunge, obliterate, omit, rub, rub out, rule out, sanitize, snip, squash, squelch, sterilize, strike out, trim, wipe out, X-out, bleep, blot out, blue-pencil*, clean up, cross out, pass up |
| Antonyms: | add, put in |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | despair |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give up hope |
| Synonyms: | abandon, destroy, drop, flatten, relinquish, renounce, resign, surrender, take down, yield, be hopeless, despond, give way, have heavy heart, let air out, lose faith, lose heart |
| Antonyms: | anticipate, expect, hope, wish for, have faith |
| Main Entry: | devour |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | swallow, consume |
| Synonyms: | absorb, annihilate, appreciate, bolt, cram*, delight in, destroy, dispatch, eat, enjoy, exhaust, feed on, go through, gobble, gorge*, gulp, guzzle, imbibe, ingest, inhale, pig out*, polish off*, ravage, relish, spend, stuff, take, take in, waste, wipe out, wolf*, be engrossed by, be preoccupied, bolt down, chow down, do compulsively, do voraciously, drink in, feast on, gloat over, hoover, partake of, rejoice in, revel in, scarf down, use up, wolf down |
| Antonyms: | abstain, pick |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | disband |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | break up |
| Synonyms: | demobilize, destroy, disperse, dissolve, fold, scatter, separate, thin out |
| Main Entry: | dismantle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | take apart |
| Synonyms: | annihilate, bankrupt, bare, break up, decimate, demolish, denude, deprive, destroy, disassemble, dismember, dismount, disrobe, divest, fell, level, pull down, raze, ruin, strike, strip, subvert, take down, tear down, undo, wrack, wreck, break down, denudate, knock down, part out, take to pieces, unrig |
| Antonyms: | assemble, build, combine, construct, put together, raise |
| Main Entry: | disorganize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disrupt arrangement; make shambles of |
| Synonyms: | break up, clutter, complicate, confound, confuse, demobilize, derange, destroy, disarrange, disarray, disband, discompose, dishevel, dislocate, disorder, disperse, disturb, embroil, jumble, litter, mess up, mislay, misplace, muddle, perturb, scatter, scramble, shuffle, toss, unsettle, upset, break down, discreate, put out of order, turn topsy-turvy |
| Antonyms: | compose, neaten, order, organize, plan, systematize, tidy |
| Main Entry: | efface |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | erase |
| Synonyms: | cancel, delete, destroy, edit, eliminate, expunge, fade, obliterate, rub out, wipe out, blot out, blue-pencil, cross out, scratch out, white out |
| Main Entry: | erode |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deteriorate; wear away |
| Synonyms: | abrade, bite, consume, corrode, crumble, destroy, disintegrate, eat, gnaw, scour, spoil, waste, wear down, grind down |
| Antonyms: | build, construct, fix, rebuild |
| Main Entry: | excise |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | remove, delete |
| Synonyms: | amputate, black out, cut, cut off, cut out, cut up, destroy, edit, elide, eradicate, erase, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, extract, gut, knock off*, launder*, slash, stamp out*, strike, trim, wipe out, X out, blot out*, blue pencil, cross out, exscind, exsect, lop off, resect, scissor out, scratch out |
| Antonyms: | add, put in |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | exterminate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | kill |
| Synonyms: | abolish, annihilate, decimate, destroy, do away with*, eliminate, eradicate, erase, execute, extinguish, extirpate, massacre, obliterate, rub out*, slaughter, stamp out*, wipe out*, blot out*, finish off, put an end to, send to kingdom come |
| Antonyms: | bear, create |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | impair |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harm, hinder |
| Synonyms: | blemish, blunt, cheapen, damage, debase, debilitate, decrease, destroy, deteriorate, devalue, diminish, ding*, disqualify, enervate, enfeeble, hurt, injure, invalidate, lessen, mar, prejudice, queer, reduce, rough up*, spoil, tarnish, total, tweak, undermine, unfit, vitiate, weaken, worsen, devaluate, lose strength, make useless |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, help |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | mangle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | mutilate, deform |
| Synonyms: | batter, break, bruise, butcher, carve, contort, crush, cut, damage, deface, destroy, disfigure, distort, flay, hack, hash, impair, injure, lacerate, maim, mar, maul, rend, ruin, separate, slash, slay, slice, slit, spoil, tear, wound, wreck |
| Antonyms: | cure, heal, help, preserve |
| Main Entry: | mess up |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disorder, dirty |
| Synonyms: | befoul, besmirch, botch, bungle, clutter, confuse, damage, derange, destroy, disarrange, discompose, dishevel, disorganize, disturb, foul, jumble, litter, muddle, pollute, ruin, rummage, scramble, screw up*, smear, soil, spoil, unsettle, upset, bobble, bollix, goof up*, gum up, louse up |
| Antonyms: | arrange, order, organize, tidy |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | murder |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | kill |
| Synonyms: | abolish, asphyxiate, assassinate, behead, bump off*, butcher, chill*, cool*, decapitate, defeat, destroy, dispatch, do in*, drub*, electrocute, eliminate, eradicate, execute, exterminate, extinguish, finish, guillotine, hang, hit*, knife, knock off*, liquidate, lynch, mangle, mar, massacre, misuse, off*, put away*, rub out*, ruin, shoot, slaughter, slay, smother, snuff, spoil, strangle, thrash*, waste*, blot out*, dust off*, garotte, take a life, take for a ride, take out* |
| Notes: | the general term for the killing of a person by another is homicide; murder is either the intentional killing or malicious killing of another; manslaughter is the unintentional, accidental killing of another through carelessness |
| Antonyms: | guard, preserve, protect, save |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.

