destroy
- spoil - ruin
‘destroy’
If you destroy something, you cause so much damage to it that it can no longer be used or it no longer exists.
Several apartment buildings were destroyed by the fire.
I destroyed the letter as soon as I had read it.
‘spoil’ and ‘ruin’
If someone or something prevents an experience from being enjoyable, don't say that they ‘destroy’ the experience. You say that they spoil it or ruin it.
The evening had been spoiled by their argument.
The weather had completely ruined their day.
