Destructed or destroyed?

Question

If we don't act now, our remaining areas of unspoilt land end up being completely and unnecessarily _________.destructed or destroyed? and why?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

destroyed.

Mr Wordy · Answer

Use "destroyed".

I dislike the verb "destruct"; to me it seems like an aberration (even though it is listed in dictionaries). I recommend that you avoid it, except perhaps in certain special circumstances, such as in the combination "self-destruct".

Anonymous · Answer

Destruct, destructor, destructed, destructing is common programming language for 'deleting' a variable, freeing up whatever memory it was using. Used as the opposite of a 'constructor', which creates (reserves memory for) the variable. Otherwise I would agree.. I think in programming terminology sometimes and end up saying awkward things. Deconstructed is good, but I guess implies a more methodical approach. de - removal / reversal, struct - build, con - together. I would take destruct as 'reversal of build', and deconstruct as 'reverse of building by putting things together', which is more like an explicit 'taking things apart' - executing methodical construction in reverse, instead of just obtaining the same result by any means (as in destroy/destruction).

Destructed or destroyed?

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