tuhoava

Tuhoava is a Finnish adjective meaning destructive or ruinous, describing something that causes destruction. It is formed from the noun tuho (destruction) with the present-active participle suffix -ava, which yields an adjective that characterizes agents or actions capable of causing damage.

It is used in a variety of contexts, including science, engineering, journalism and literature. It commonly appears with nouns such as voima (force), vaikutus (effect) or seuraus (consequence): tuhoava voima, tuhoava vaikutus, tuhoava seuraus. Finnish adjectives agree with the noun in number and case, so tuhoava can take forms like tuhoavan, tuhoavaa, tuhoavien, etc., depending on grammatical role.

Tuhoava is closely related to, but distinct from, tuhoisa. Both can mean destructive, but tuhoava often emphasizes the act or process of causing destruction, while tuhoisa emphasizes a generally ruinous quality.

Usage notes: In formal Finnish, the choice between tuhoava and tuhoisa depends on nuance. The word is common in discussions of hazards, weapons, disasters, environmental damage, and simulations of destruction.