# destroy

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/ · frequency rank #2,887

## Definitions
1. To damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist.
2. To neutralize, undo a property or condition.
3. To put down or euthanize.
4. To severely disrupt the well-being of (a person); ruin.
5. To utterly defeat; to crush.
6. To remove data.
7. To exhaust completely and thus recreate or build up.
8. To penetrate sexually in an aggressive way.
9. To sing a song extremely poorly.
10. To eat food quickly, hungrily or completely.

## Etymology
From Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrugō, from Classical Latin dēstruō, from dē- (“un-, de-”) + struō (“I build”).

## Easily confused with
- **destroyed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/destroy-vs-destroyed)
- **destroyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/destroy-vs-destroyer)
- **destiny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/destiny-vs-destroy)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ddestroy`, `desrtoy`, `desstroy`, `destory`, `destroyy`, `destrroy`, `destryo`, `desttroy`, `detsroy`, `dsetroy`, `edstroy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/destroy