Word
demolish
Phoneticsde·mol·ish
US/dɪˈmɑɫɪʃ/
UK/dɪmˈɒlɪʃ/
Definitions
01to destroy a building
v. to knock down a building or large structure, usually on purpose.
v. to pull or knock down a building or other structure, typically as a planned operation.
“The city decided to demolish the old factory to make room for a park.”
“The construction crew used a wrecking ball to demolish the condemned apartment block, clearing the site for a new sustainable housing development.”
Usage
Transitive; requires a direct object such as a building, wall, or bridge.
Synonyms
02to prove wrong
v. to show that an idea, argument, or theory is completely false.
v. to effectively refute or discredit an argument, theory, or belief system.
“The lawyer used new evidence to demolish the witness's story.”
“In her latest paper, the scientist managed to demolish the long-standing theory that the two species were unrelated.”
Academic
Usage
Often used in academic or formal debates regarding theories or evidence.
03to eat quickly
v. to eat a large amount of food very quickly.
v. to consume food rapidly and completely.
“The teenagers managed to demolish three large pizzas in ten minutes.”
“After the marathon, he proceeded to demolish a massive plate of pasta, barely pausing for breath between bites.”
Informal
Usage
Usually takes a specific meal or food item as the object.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Unlike nearby Walmer Castle, which still stands, Sandown was abandoned to the sea during the 19th century and largely demolished.” “One of the family's two houses has already been demolished.” 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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/demolish