demolish
B2Neutral; used in formal, academic, journalistic, and everyday contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To completely destroy a building or structure, typically in a planned, forceful way.
To completely ruin, refute, or defeat something, such as an argument, plan, opponent, or large quantity of food.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word inherently suggests a forceful, thorough, and often total process of destruction. It is stronger and more final than 'damage' or 'knock down'. In figurative use, it implies complete and decisive defeat or consumption.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant grammatical or usage differences. Both use the word in literal (destroy building) and figurative (eat/destroy argument) senses.
Connotations
Slightly more formal or dramatic than 'knock down' or 'tear down' in both varieties. Figurative use for eating is informal but common in both.
Frequency
Comparatively frequent in both. The literal sense is standard in news reports. The figurative sense for arguments is common in politics, debate, and sports commentary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SVO (They demolished the factory.)SV (The building demolished easily.) (rare, passive-like middle voice)Be demolished (The block was demolished.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Demolish the competition.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The new market entrant demolished our sales projections for the quarter."
Academic
"The researcher's latest paper demolishes the prevailing theory on cognitive development."
Everyday
"They're going to demolish that old cinema to build a car park."
Technical
"The controlled explosion will demolish the structure without damaging adjacent buildings."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council has approved plans to demolish the derelict flats.
- He absolutely demolished his opponent in the debate.
- You demolished that whole pizza!
American English
- The old factory was demolished to make way for condos.
- The defense attorney demolished the prosecution's key witness.
- The kids demolished a gallon of ice cream.
adverb
British English
- N/A - No standard adverb form from 'demolish'. One might use 'demolishingly' informally (a demolishingly good argument).
American English
- N/A - No standard adverb form from 'demolish'. Figuratively, one could say 'he argued demolishingly'.
adjective
British English
- N/A - 'demolish' is not an adjective. The related adjective is 'demolished' (a demolished building) or 'demolition' (demolition work).
American English
- N/A - 'demolish' is not an adjective. The related adjective is 'demolished' (the demolished site) or 'demolition' (demolition crew).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The big machine can demolish a house.
- They will demolish the old school.
- The storm demolished several barns in the village.
- The footballer demolished the defence and scored.
- Developers applied for permission to demolish the historic theatre, sparking protests.
- Her review demolished the author's central premise with flawless logic.
- The committee's report systematically demolished the economic rationale for the project.
- Having demolished his critics' arguments, the philosopher presented his own synthesis.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a DEMOlished building – it's been made into a DEMOnstration of total destruction. Think 'DEMO' + 'FINISH' = demolish.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARGUMENTS/OPPONENTS ARE BUILDINGS (to be knocked down). EATING IS DESTRUCTION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'demонстрировать' (to demonstrate). The roots are unrelated.
- The closest Russian equivalent for the literal sense is 'сносить'/'снести'. For figurative (argument), 'разгромить', 'разбить в пух и прах'. For eating, 'умять', 'уничтожить' (informal).
- Avoid over-literal translation in figurative contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect spelling: *'demolush', *'demoliss'.
- Incorrect preposition: *'demolish to the ground' (correct: 'demolish' or 'raze to the ground').
- Using it for minor damage: *'The hailstorm demolished my car.' (too strong; use 'damaged' or 'dented').
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following sentences is 'demolish' used FIGURATIVELY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its primary meaning is destroying buildings, it is very commonly used figuratively to mean defeating an argument completely ('demolish a theory'), defeating an opponent utterly ('demolish the competition'), or eating all of something quickly and enthusiastically ('demolish a burger').
'Demolish' is more specific and often implies a deliberate, systematic, or total act of breaking down a structure. 'Destroy' is more general and can apply to anything (a building, a hope, a relationship) and may not imply the same methodical process. You 'demolish' a building with machinery, but a fire or earthquake might 'destroy' it.
Rarely in a purely positive sense for its core meaning. However, in informal contexts (like sports or eating), it can have a positive or impressive connotation: 'He demolished the record!' or 'We demolished that cake!' It celebrates thoroughness and effectiveness.
The main noun is 'demolition' (the act or process of demolishing). For example, 'The demolition of the tower took three days.' The past participle 'demolished' can also function as an adjective ('a demolished building').