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Webster 1913 Edition
Demolish
De-mol′ish
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Demolished
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Demolishing
.] [F.
démolir
, fr. L. demoliri
, p. p. demolitus
; de-
+ moliri
to set a thing in motion, to work, construct, from moles
a huge mass or structure. See Mole
a mound, and Finish
.] To throw or pull down; to raze; to destroy the fabric of; to pull to pieces; to ruin;
as, to
. demolish
an edifice, or a wall
Syn. – To
Demolish
, Overturn
, Destroy
, Dismantle
, Raze
. That is overturned or overthrown which had stood upright; that is destroyed whose component parts are scattered; that is demolished which had formed a mass or structure; that is dismantled which is stripped of its covering, as a vessel of its sails, or a fortress of its bastions, etc.; that is razed which is brought down smooth, and level to the ground. An ancient pillar is overturned or overthrown as the result of decay; a city is destroyed by an invasion of its enemies; a monument, the walls of a castle, a church, or any structure, real or imaginary, may be demolished; a fortress may be dismantled from motives of prudence, in order to render it defenseless; a city may be razed by way of punishment, and its ruins become a memorial of vengeance. Webster 1828 Edition
Demolish
DEMOLISH
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2024
demolish
demolish
English
Verb
demolish (third-person singular simple present demolishes, present participle demolishing, simple past and past participle demolished)
- To destroy; to destruct.
- They demolished the old house and put up four townhouses.
- (transitive, figuratively) To utterly defeat (as in a theory, belief or opponent).
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:destroy
Related terms
Translations
to destroy
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References
- “demolish” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).