different between destructive vs noxious

English

Etymology

From Middle French destructif, from Latin destructivus, from past participle of destruere (“to tear down, destroy”) + -ivus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??st??kt?v/, /d??st??kt?v/

Adjective

destructive (comparative more destructive, superlative most destructive)

1. Causing destruction; damaging.
2. Causing breakdown or disassembly.

3. (computing) Lossy; causing irreversible change.

Synonyms

• calamitous
• catastrophic
• devastating
• disastrous
• eradicative
• harmful
• pernicious
• ruinous
• wrackful
• wreckful

Antonyms

• constructive
• nondestructive, non-destructive
• productive

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

French

Adjective

destructive

1. feminine singular of destructif

Latin

Adjective

d?str?ct?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of d?str?ct?vus

English

Alternative forms

• noctious (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin noxius (“hurtful, injurious”), from noxa (“hurt, injury”), from nocere (“to hurt, injure”); see nocent.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?n?k??s/

Adjective

noxious (comparative more noxious, superlative most noxious)

1. Harmful; injurious.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "noxious" is often applied: substance, chemical, fume, gas, odor, plant, weed, animal, stimulus, stimulation.

Synonyms

• harmful
• injurious
• scathel
• see also Thesaurus:harmful

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• noxious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• noxious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• noxious at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “noxious”, in Online Etymology Dictionary