The English verb "destroy" means "to demolish, to ruin" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "destroy" across all 5 tenses. New to English verbs? Start with the English verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "destroy" in the Present Tense
Simple Present Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | destroy |
| you | you (singular) | destroy |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | destroys |
| we | we | destroy |
| you | you (plural) | destroy |
| they | they | destroy |
He destroys the wall with tools.
say it HEE dih-STROYZ thuh WAWL with TOOLZ
He destroys the wall with tools.
In other languages
- French Il détruit le mur avec des outils.
- German Er zerstört die Wand mit Werkzeugen.
- Spanish Él destruye la pared con herramientas.
- Dutch Hij vernietigt de muur met gereedschap.
I destroy old papers safely.
say it AI dih-STROY OHLD PAY-perz SAYF-lee
I destroy old papers safely.
In other languages
- French Je détruis les vieux papiers en toute sécurité.
- German Ich zerstöre alte Papiere sicher.
- Spanish Destruyo papeles viejos de forma segura.
- Dutch Ik vernietig oude papieren veilig.
How to Conjugate "destroy" in the Past Tense
Simple Past Actions that happened in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | destroyed |
| you | you (singular) | destroyed |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | destroyed |
| we | we | destroyed |
| you | you (plural) | destroyed |
| they | they | destroyed |
He destroyed the wall with fire.
say it hee dih-STROYD thuh wawl with fyer
He destroyed the wall with fire.
In other languages
- French Il a détruit le mur avec le feu.
- German Er zerstörte die Wand mit Feuer.
- Spanish Él destruyó la pared con fuego.
- Dutch Hij vernietigde de muur met vuur.
I destroyed the old box.
say it ai dih-STROYD thuh ohld boks
I destroyed the old box.
In other languages
- French J'ai détruit la vieille boîte.
- German Ich zerstörte die alte Kiste.
- Spanish Destruí la caja vieja.
- Dutch Ik vernietigde de oude doos.
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Simple Future Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | will destroy |
| you | you (singular) | will destroy |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | will destroy |
| we | we | will destroy |
| you | you (plural) | will destroy |
| they | they | will destroy |
He will destroy the wall soon.
say it Hee wil dih-STROY thuh wawl SOON
He will destroy the wall soon.
In other languages
- French Il détruira le mur bientôt.
- German Er wird die Wand bald zerstören.
- Spanish Él destruirá la pared pronto.
- Dutch Hij zal de muur binnenkort vernietigen.
I will destroy the old box.
say it AI wil dih-STROY thuh old BOKS
I will destroy the old box.
In other languages
- French Je détruirai la vieille boîte.
- German Ich werde die alte Kiste zerstören.
- Spanish Destruiré la caja vieja.
- Dutch Ik zal de oude doos vernietigen.
How to Conjugate "destroy" in the Present (-ing) Tense
Present Continuous Actions happening right now| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | am destroying |
| you | you (singular) | are destroying |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | is destroying |
| we | we | are destroying |
| you | you (plural) | are destroying |
| they | they | are destroying |
He is destroying the broken chair.
say it hee iz dih-STROY-ing thuh BROH-ken chair
He is destroying the broken chair.
In other languages
- French Il est en train de détruire la chaise cassée.
- German Er zerstört den kaputten Stuhl.
- Spanish Él está destruyendo la silla rota.
- Dutch Hij is de kapotte stoel aan het vernietigen.
I am destroying the old paper.
say it ai am dih-STROY-ing thuh ohld PAY-per
I am destroying the old paper.
In other languages
- French Je suis en train de détruire le vieux papier.
- German Ich zerstöre das alte Papier.
- Spanish Estoy destruyendo el papel viejo.
- Dutch Ik ben het oude papier aan het vernietigen.
How to Conjugate "destroy" in the Have done Tense
Present Perfect Actions completed with present relevance| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | have destroyed |
| you | you (singular) | have destroyed |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | has destroyed |
| we | we | have destroyed |
| you | you (plural) | have destroyed |
| they | they | have destroyed |
He has destroyed the wall.
say it HEE haz dih-STROYD thuh wawl
He has destroyed the wall.
In other languages
- French Il a détruit le mur.
- German Er hat die Mauer zerstört.
- Spanish Él ha destruido la pared.
- Dutch Hij heeft de muur vernietigd.
I have destroyed the old box.
say it AI hav dih-STROYD thee old boks
I have destroyed the old box.
In other languages
- French J'ai détruit la vieille boîte.
- German Ich habe die alte Kiste zerstört.
- Spanish He destruido la caja vieja.
- Dutch Ik heb de oude doos vernietigd.
Frequently Asked Questions About "destroy"
Is "destroy" regular or irregular in English?
"Destroy" is a regular English verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "destroy" mean in English?
The English verb "destroy" means "to demolish, to ruin" in English.
How do you conjugate "destroy" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Simple Present): I → destroy, you → destroy, he/she/it → destroys, we → destroy, you → destroy, they → destroy.
How many tenses does "destroy" have in English?
"Destroy" is conjugated across 5 tenses in English: Present, Past, Future, Present (-ing), Have done.
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