Destructive

Destructive
Destructive De*struc"tive, a. [L. destructivus: cf. F. destructif.] Causing destruction; tending to bring about ruin, death, or devastation; ruinous; fatal; productive of serious evil; mischievous; pernicious; -- often with of or to; as, intemperance is destructive of health; evil examples are destructive to the morals of youth. [1913 Webster]

Time's destructive power. --Wordsworth. [1913 Webster]

{Destructive distillation}. See {Distillation}.

{Destructive sorties}(Logic), a process of reasoning which involves the denial of the first of a series of dependent propositions as a consequence of the denial of the last; a species of reductio ad absurdum. --Whately.

Syn: Mortal; deadly; poisonous; fatal; ruinous; malignant; baleful; pernicious; mischievous. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • destructive — [adj1] injurious, devastating annihilative, baleful, baneful, calamitous, cancerous, cataclysmic, catastrophic, consumptive, cutthroat, damaging, deadly, deleterious, detrimental, dire, disastrous, eradicative, evil, extirpative, fatal, fell,… …   New thesaurus

  • destructive — ► ADJECTIVE 1) causing destruction. 2) negative and unhelpful: destructive criticism. DERIVATIVES destructively adverb destructiveness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • destructive — [di struk′tiv] adj. [OFr destructif < LL destructivus] 1. tending or likely to cause destruction 2. causing or producing destruction; destroying 3. merely negative; not helpful [destructive criticism] destructively adv. destructiveness n.… …   English World dictionary

  • Destructive — De*struc tive, n. One who destroys; a radical reformer; a destructionist. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • destructive — I adjective annihilating, baleful, damaging, destroying, detrimental, feral, harmful, injurious, internecine, malign, miasmal, miasmatic, miasmic, pernicious II index adverse (negative), bad (offens …   Law dictionary

  • destructive — late 15c., from O.Fr. destructif (14c.), from L.L. destructivus, from destruct , pp. stem of L. destruere (see DESTROY (Cf. destroy)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • destructive — adj. VERBS ▪ be, seem ▪ become ADVERB ▪ extremely, fairly, very, etc …   Collocations dictionary

  • destructive — /dəsˈtrʌktɪv/ (say duhs truktiv) adjective 1. tending to destroy; causing destruction: destructive of reason; destructive to the environment. 2. tending to overthrow, disprove, or discredit: destructive criticism. 3. carried on to the point of… …  

  • destructive — ● destructif, destructive adjectif (bas latin destructivus) Se dit de ce qui détruit, a le pouvoir de détruire : L action destructive des eaux. ● destructif, destructive (difficultés) adjectif (bas latin destructivus) Emploi …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • destructive — adj. 1 (often foll. by to, of) destroying or tending to destroy (destructive of her peace of mind; is destructive to organisms; a destructive child). 2 negative in attitude or criticism; refuting without suggesting, helping, amending, etc. (opp.… …   Useful english dictionary

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