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# destructive

«destructive» in Mova's school dictionary: **causing a lot of damage or ruin** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (destructive, more destructive, most destructive)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Destructive means causing a lot of damage or ruin. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#m1)

2) A destructive person or animal often breaks or ruins things. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science and geography, storms, floods, earthquakes and fires can be destructive. In everyday life, a puppy can be destructive and chew shoes. In stories, a destructive villain wrecks things. Phrases: «destructive storm», «destructive behaviour», «the destructive power of».

### examples

- The storm was very destructive and flattened many houses. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#x1)
- Our puppy is destructive when she is bored. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#x2)
- Earthquakes can be extremely destructive. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#x3)
- Throwing things in anger is destructive behaviour. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#x4)
- Some insects are destructive to crops. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#x5)
- The fire was the most destructive in the town's history. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#x6)
- Rabbits can be destructive in a vegetable garden. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#x7)
- THE OXEN once upon a time sought to destroy the Butchers, who practiced a trade destructive to their race. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/#x8)

### note

From «destroy» and «destruction». Opposite: «constructive» (helpful, building up). «Constructive criticism» helps; «destructive criticism» only hurts. Not a number word, but «more destructive» compares damage.

### In the corpora

- ["The deterrent" is the British official way to say nuclear weapons, the most destructive bombs ever made.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/21/)
- [Bored animals can become unhappy and destructive, so they need toys, play, walks and new things to sniff.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/66-how-pets-feel-and-saying-goodbye/13/)
- [A bored pet can become unhappy and destructive; toys, play, walks and new things to sniff keep it happy.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/205-pet-care-food-and-responsibility/15/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «destructive» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/destructive/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.