Hävitama

Hävitama is an Estonian verb meaning to destroy, ruin, or wipe out. It can refer to destroying physical objects such as buildings or forests, as well as to causing the destruction of non-physical things like evidence, plans, or hopes. The action is transitive and usually requires a direct object.

The term is used across everyday language, journalism, history, ecology, and law to describe substantial damage or eradication, whether intentional (for example, vandalism or warfare) or incidental (for instance, a natural disaster). In figurative use, it can describe erasing memories, traditions, or data.

Related noun forms include hävitamine (the act or process of destroying) and hävitus (destruction). The past participle is hävitatud, and common present and past tense forms follow standard Estonian verb conjugation: hävitab (he destroys), hävitas (destroyed), and so on.