Word family noun destroyer destruction adjective indestructible destructive verb destroy adverb destructively
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdestructionde‧struc‧tion /dɪˈstrʌkʃən/ ●●○ W3 noun [uncountable] DESTROYthe act or process of destroying something or of being destroyed → destroydestruction of the destruction of the rainforest weapons of mass destruction the environmental destruction caused by the road building programme The floods brought death and destruction to the area.COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + destructiontotal/complete destructionIn a populated area, a wave that high would cause total destruction.wholesale destruction formal (=total)It was an act of war, the wholesale destruction of a city.wanton destruction (=done deliberately and without caring about it)People were shocked by the wanton destruction that occurred during the riots.environmental destructionThe islands are already threatened by environmental destruction.forest/rainforest destructiona Brazilian report on rainforest destructionhabitat destruction (=of the natural homes of plants and animals)Habitat destruction has reduced elephant herds in central Africa.widespread destructionThe rains caused widespread destruction to crops.great/massive destructionMuch of the city was rebuilt after the massive destruction of World War II.ozone destructionOzone destruction is most severe over the Antarctic due to climatic and atmospheric extremes.verbscause/lead to/bring about destructionIt's clear that the bomb was intended to cause death and destruction.wreak destruction formal (=cause destruction)The destruction wrought by the hurricane left thousands of people homeless.phrasesweapons of mass destruction (=weapons intended to cause a lot of death and destruction)The country is believed to have the potential to develop weapons of mass destruction.a trail of destruction (=a long line of things that have been destroyed)The accident, involving five vehicles, caused a trail of destruction on the motorway. Examples from the Corpus
destruction• The death and destruction had torn apart families whose political loyalties had also been divided in what was essentially a civil war.• The war caused widespread death and destruction.• What came instead were world wars, a Great Depression, a Holocaust, and threats of nuclear destruction.• Whether versions of destruction are to take place within or without the industrial enterprise, the political implications are obvious.• In this sense such systems contain the seeds of their own destruction.• Every April, hordes of noisy invaders descend upon this otherwise peaceful town of 60,000 and proceed to spread destruction.• Indirect evidence of mounting demographic pressure is also provided by the steady destruction of the forests.• The president flew in to look at the destruction caused by the earthquake.• These are the colour changes in Tamburlaine's army on the three days before the destruction of Damascus.• Perhaps the order of the destruction of Ixora's men was random; logic was not the doctor's strong suit.• The destruction of forests for timber, fuel, and charcoal increased during the 18th century.destruction of• Belarus agreed to the destruction of its nuclear weapons.Origin destruction (1200-1300) Latin destructus, past participle of destruere; → DESTROY 