demolish

Meaning

1. (literally, transitive) To destroy (buildings, etc.), especially in a planned or intentional fashion.
2. (figuratively, transitive) To defeat, refute, discredit, or consume utterly (as a theory, belief or opponent).
3. (transitive) To devour; to eat up

Synonyms

destroy

ruin

wreck

pull down

tear down

dismantle

smash

annihilate

raze

disassemble

break

knock down

crush

quash

take apart

take down

break down

shatter

pulverize

overthrow

devastate

spoil

ravage

dash

💨

damage

break apart

destruct

take to pieces

break up

kill

🔪🩸👤

defeat

undo

slaughter

tear

remove

rase

pulverise

lay waste

bring down

mortify

hack

humiliate

beat

fracture

degrade

abase

drop

breakdown

dissolve

erase

Translations

démolir

demolire

détruire

zerstören

abreißen

distruggere

derribar

niederreißen

demoler

destruir

vernichten

demolir

afbreken

destruir

vernietigen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dəˈmɒl.ɪʃ/

Etymology

Attested since the 16th century; from Middle French demoliss-, the stem of some conjugated forms of the verb demolir (“to destroy”, “to tear down”), from Latin dēmōlior (“I tear down”). Displaced native Old English tōweorpan (literally “to throw apart”).

Sentences

So there was no pressure to demolish old buildings to put new ones at their place .