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démolir
/de.mɔ.liʁ/
to demolish
Ils ont démoli l'ancien bâtiment pour construire un nouveau.
They demolished the old building to construct a new one.
general
To destroy or tear down a building or structure.
Le tremblement de terre a démoli plusieurs maisons.
The earthquake demolished several houses.
Often used in construction, urban development, or disaster contexts.
figurative
To criticize or destroy someone's arguments or reputation.
Son discours a démoli les théories de son adversaire.
His speech demolished his opponent's theories.
Used metaphorically to describe strong criticism or refutation.
Collocations
démolir un bâtimentto demolish a buildingdémolir une théorieto demolish a theory
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Literal vs. Figurative Use
'Démolir' can refer to physical destruction (e.g., buildings) or strong criticism (e.g., arguments).
Word Origin
From Old French 'desmolir', from Latin 'demolire', meaning 'to pull down'.
Usage Notes
In French, 'démolir' is commonly used for both physical destruction and metaphorical criticism.
Word Breakdown
dé-
intensive prefix
prefix-molir
to grind or crush
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