Meaning

• To damage beyond use or repair.

  "Hooligans destroy unprovoked."

• To neutralize, undo a property or condition.

  "Smoking destroys the natural subtlety of the palate."

• To put down or euthanize.

  "Destroying a rabid dog is required by law."

• To severely disrupt the well-being of (a person); ruin.

  "Her divorce destroyed her; she had a nervous breakdown and was severely depressed for more than a year."

• To defeat soundly.

• To remove data.

  "The memory leak happened because we forgot to destroy the temporary lists."

• To sing a song poorly.

• (antiphrasis) To exhaust duly and thus recreate or build up.

  "This exercise is going to destroy all parts of your shoulders."

• To penetrate sexually in an aggressive way.

  "She got destroyed by her lover on the carpet."