摧毁

摧毀

cuīhuǐ

verb HSK 7 #2,739

Meanings

1 to destroy
2 to demolish
3 to devastate

Characters

to destroy; to break

to ruin; to destroy

Both characters mean 'to destroy' — total destruction

Examples

地震摧毁了整个村庄。

Dìzhèn cuīhuǐle zhěnggè cūnzhuāng.

The earthquake destroyed the entire village.

战争摧毁了无数家庭。

Zhànzhēng cuīhuǐle wúshù jiātíng.

War devastated countless families.

Tips

usage

摧毁 implies thorough, often violent destruction. It can be physical (buildings, cities) or abstract (hopes, confidence). Compare with 破坏 (pòhuài), which means 'to damage' and is less extreme.

Stroke Order

摧 cuī

毁 huǐ