Damage & Destruction

Words to do with the breaking and undoing of things.

Dis forDebris

Debris is the broken remains of something that has been destroyed, usually from a natural event like a tornado but debris can be created by any kind of destruction.

Dis forDecay

Something is decaying if it is slowly rotting or otherwise degrading and breaking down. A civilization that is declining may be said to be in decay, for example, "the decay of the Roman empire".

Dis forDefect

A defect is something wrong with something, that stops it from being perfect. A defect in a machine might stop it from working at all. A defect might also be called a flaw or imperfection.

Dis forDemolish

You demolish something when you take it apart until there is nothing left. When you say demolish, you usually mean a building being demolished.

Dis forDent

A dent is a hollow, like a shallow hole in a surface. Dents are usually caused by hitting something. The car in the picture has a dent in its side.

Dis forDestroy

You destroy something when you damage it so badly it is completely useless. You can destroy something by smashing it into tiny pieces, burning it or by dissolving it.
Destruction is the act of destroying or demolishing something. It might also be used to describe the remains left once something has been destroyed.
Something disintegrates when it breaks down into the components it was made from, or just breaks into small pieces. The building in the picture is slowly disintegrating.

Fis forFissure

A fissure is a relatively deep, narrow hole in something. Some fissures are natural features of things, others are caused by external damage.

Fis forFlaw

A flaw is a quality of something that stops it from being perfect. A flaw is also called a defect or imperfection.