destruido

Destruido is a Spanish adjective and past participle meaning “destroyed” or “ruined.” It describes something that has suffered destruction as a result of an action, such as a building that was demolished or a landscape ravaged by a calamity. It can also convey a state of complete damage or collapse.

Etymology and grammar: Destruido is formed from the verb destruir (to destroy) with the suffix -ido to create the past participle. It derives from Latin destruere, a compound of de- and struere (to pull down, ruin). As a participle used as an adjective, destruido agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: destruido (masc. sing.), destruida (fem. sing.), destruidos (masc. plur.), destruídas (fem. plur.).

Usage: In writing and speech, destruido frequently appears in the passive voice with auxiliary verbs, as in “La ciudad fue destruida” (The city was destroyed). It is also used predicatively or attributively to describe the resulting condition: “un puente destruido,” “un sueño destruido.” While synonyms like dañado, devastado, or arruinado may convey similar ideas, destruido often emphasizes total or extensive damage.

Related terms: The noun destrucción refers to the act or process of destroying, while the verb destruir denotes the action itself. Destruido is part of a broader semantic field related to ruin, collapse, and loss.

Notes: Destruido is common in historical, journalistic, and literary contexts to convey the aftermath of destructive events, as well as in metaphorical expressions about emotional or figurative damage.