different between protect vs destroy

English

Etymology

Attested in English since 1530, from Latin pr?t?ctus (“covered, protected”), past participle of pr?tegere (“to cover the front, protect”) from pr?, pr?- (“before, in front of”) +? tegere (“to cover”), see tegument. Displaced native Middle English shelden, from Old English s?ildan (”to protect,” literally ”to shield”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p???t?kt/
• Rhymes: -?kt

Verb

protect (third-person singular simple present protects, present participle protecting, simple past and past participle protected)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To keep safe; to defend; to guard; to prevent harm coming to.
2. (travel, aviation) To book a passenger on a later flight if there is a chance they will not be able to board their earlier reserved flight.

Synonyms

• beshield
• See also Thesaurus:defend

Derived terms

• protection

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrug?, from Classical Latin d?stru?, from d?- (“un-, de-”) + stru? (“I build”). Displaced native shend (“destroy, injure”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??st???/
• Rhymes: -??
• Hyphenation: de?stroy

Verb

destroy (third-person singular simple present destroys, present participle destroying, simple past and past participle destroyed)

2. (transitive, intransitive) To damage beyond use or repair.

3. (transitive) To neutralize, undo a property or condition.

4. (transitive) To put down or euthanize.

5. (transitive) To severely disrupt the well-being of (a person); ruin.
   • 2005, Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide

     Other girls in the foster home are eager to destroy her and get her kicked out of the place. It's a tough situation.

6. (colloquial, transitive, hyperbolic) To defeat soundly.
7. (computing, transitive) To remove data.

8. (US, colloquial, slang) To sing a song poorly.
9. (bodybuilding, slang, antiphrasis) To exhaust duly and thus recreate or build up.

10. (slang, vulgar) To penetrate sexually in an aggressive way.

Synonyms

• annihilate
• break
• demolish
• kill
• ruin
• waste
• See also Thesaurus:destroy

Antonyms

• build
• construct
• create
• make
• raise
• repair

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• stroyed