destructiveness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree English destructive Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English destructiveness From destructive + -ness.
Meanings
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(uncountable) The state or quality of being destructive.
Would Helen’s face-seductiveness have wrought as much destructiveness, Would Antony have followed Cleopatra like a lamb, Unless those ladies’ vanities for snaring male humanities Had been associated with a quantum suff. of glam.?
1939 July 19, The Bulletin, Sydney, page 14, column 1:
Deriveds
nondestructiveness · self-destructiveness
Translations (7)
es destructividad (the state or quality of being destructive) · pt destrutividade (the state or quality of being destructive) · sga bráthamlacht (the state or quality of being destructive) · it distruttività (the state or quality of being destructive) · gv traartaght (the state or quality of being destructive) · fr destructivité (the state or quality of being destructive) · ga loitiméireacht (the state or quality of being destructive)