different between infernal vs destructive

English

Etymology

From Middle French infernal, from Medieval Latin infernalis, from Latin ?nfernus, from ?nferum (“netherworld, underworld, hell”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n?f??(?)n?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?n?f??n?l/
• Rhymes: -??(?)n?l

Adjective

infernal (comparative more infernal, superlative most infernal)

1. Of or relating to hell, or the world of the dead; hellish.
2. (by extension) Of or relating to a fire or inferno.
3. Stygian, gloomy.
4. Diabolical or fiendish.

   • Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile

     Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd

     The Mother of Mankind

   • the instruments or abettors in such infernal dealings

5. (as an expletive, not vulgar) Very annoying; damned.
   • 1905, Bram Stoker, The Man

     As I had to put up with the patronage and the lecturings, and the eyeglass of that infernal old woman, […]

Antonyms

• (of or relating to hell): heavenly
• (of or relating to hell, underworld or fire): celestial

Related terms

• infernal device
• infernally
• infernal machine
• inferno

Translations

Noun

infernal (plural infernals)

1. (obsolete) An inhabitant of the infernal regions.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Drayton to this entry?)

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin infern?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.f??.nal/

Adjective

infernal (feminine singular infernale, masculine plural infernaux, feminine plural infernales)

1. infernal (relating to hell)
2. (figuratively) infernal, hellish, awful, terrible

Related terms

• enfer

Further reading

• “infernal” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

From Latin infern?lis

Adjective

infernal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular infernale)

1. infernal (relating to hell)

Declension

Descendants

• English: infernal
• French: infernal
• Norman: înfèrna

Portuguese

Adjective

infernal m or f (plural infernais, comparable)

1. (Christianity) hellish; infernal (from or relating to hell)
2. diabolical; evil; infernal

   Synonyms: mau, diabólico, maldoso

Related terms

• inferno

Romanian

Etymology

From French infernal, from Latin infernalis.

Adjective

infernal m or n (feminine singular infernal?, masculine plural infernali, feminine and neuter plural infernale)

1. infernal

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin infernalis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /infe??nal/, [??.fe??nal]

Adjective

infernal (plural infernales)

1. (relational) hell; infernal (of or relating to hell)
2. infernal, hellish (diabolical, fiendish)
3. infernal, hellish, hellacious, hell of (very annoying, damned)

Related terms

• infierno

Further reading

• “infernal” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

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