Destructive
easydih-STRUK-tiv
adjective
Definition
Causing great damage or harm; highly damaging
Examples
“The destructive hurricane left thousands homeless.”
“His destructive criticism demoralized the entire team.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Destructive is a easy-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "ruinous" or "devastating" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "constructive".
Related GRE Words
baneful
Causing harm or ruin; pernicious; destructive
injurious
Causing or likely to cause damage or harm
noxious
Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant
deleterious
Causing harm or damage; injurious
catastrophic
Involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering
calamitous
Involving or causing a calamity; disastrous
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