adjective
Common
destroyed
dih-STROYD
Destroyed (adjective) means Ruined or wrecked beyond repair. Example: “The village was left completely destroyed after the earthquake.”
adjective
1
Ruined or wrecked beyond repair.
"The village was left completely destroyed after the earthquake."
"The dragon from under-earth, the nightmarish destroyer, lay destroyed as well, utterly without life."
— Seamus Heaney, Beowulf (1999)
"The destroyed bridge cut the village off from the nearest town."
"She stared at the destroyed remains of her sandcastle as the tide came in."
How to use destroyed
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWrecked so badly that nothing can be salvaged.
Common pairings
completely destroyed
left destroyed
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The village was left completely _____ after the earthquake.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
preserved
Related words
Rhymes for destroyed
See all rhymes for destroyed →Frequently asked questions
What does “destroyed” mean?
The word “destroyed” means ruined or wrecked beyond repair. In plain terms, wrecked so badly that nothing can be salvaged.
How do you pronounce “destroyed”?
“Destroyed” is pronounced dih-STROYD (/dɪˈstɹɔɪd/ in IPA).
How do you use “destroyed” in a sentence?
Here is “destroyed” used in a sentence: “The village was left completely destroyed after the earthquake.”
What part of speech is “destroyed”?
“Destroyed” is an adjective.
Is “destroyed” a common word?
“Destroyed” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between 'destroyed' and 'damaged'?
The difference is severity. Something damaged is harmed or broken but can often be repaired or still partly used. Something destroyed is ruined so completely that it cannot be fixed or recovered. A storm might damage a roof, leaving it repairable, or destroy a house entirely, leaving nothing worth saving.
What is the difference between 'destroyed' and 'demolished'?
Both mean something is wrecked, but demolished usually implies deliberate, controlled tearing down, as when a building is knocked down on purpose. Destroyed is broader and can be accidental or violent — by fire, flood, or force. Everything demolished is destroyed, but not everything destroyed was demolished on purpose.
What is the opposite of destroyed?
The opposite depends on the sense. For something ruined beyond repair, opposites include intact, undamaged, and whole. If you mean the process, the opposites are built, created, constructed, or restored. Where destroyed describes total loss, these words describe something sound, complete, or brought back to good condition.
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