1. To cause so much damage to something that it is completely ruined or does not exist any more: "The fire completely destroyed the building."
2. To demolish something or to reduce something into fragments: "All of the files were destroyed."
3. To ruin something or to make it useless; as well as, to abolish, to rescind, or to end it.
4. To ruin; to spoil; or to render someone or something useless: "He had a disease that destroys the body."
5. To annihilate, to crush, to subdue, or to defeat.
6. To be destructive or to cause destruction: "The gas explosion destroyed several stores in the business district."
7. Etymology: from early 13th century, from Old French destruire in the 12th century and then Modern French détruire, "to destroy, to ravage, to lay waste"; from Vulgar Latin destrugere, "refashioned" that is influenced by destructus; from Latin destruere, "to tear down, to demolish"; literally, "un-build" from de- "un-, down" + struere. "to pile, to build".