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Destroy vs Compose - What's the difference?

destroy | compose | Related terms |

In transitive terms the difference between destroy and compose

is that destroy is to put down or euthanize while compose is to make up the whole; to constitute.

destroy

English

Verb

  • To damage beyond use or repair.
  • The earthquake destroyed several apartment complexes.
  • To cause destruction.
  • ''Hooligans destroy unprovoked
  • To neutralize, undo a property or condition.
  • ''Smoking destroys the natural subtlety of the palate
  • To put down or euthanize.
  • Destroying a rabid dog is required by law.
  • (colloquial) To defeat soundly.
  • (computing) To remove data.
  • The memory leak happened because we forgot to destroy the temporary lists.

    Synonyms

    * annihilate * break * demolish * kill * ruin * waste * See also

    Antonyms

    * build * construct * create * make * raise * repair

    Derived terms

    * destroyable * destroyer * destroyer escort * destroying angel

    compose

    English

    (Composition)

    Verb

    (compos)
  • To make something by merging parts.
  • The editor composed a historical journal from many individual letters.
    Try to compose your thoughts.
  • * Bishop Sprat
  • Zeal ought to be composed of the highest degrees of all pious affection.
  • To make up the whole; to constitute.
  • A church is composed of its members.
  • * I. Watts
  • A few useful things compose their intellectual possessions.
  • (nonstandard) To comprise.
  • (transitive, or, intransitive) To construct by mental labor; to think up; particularly, to produce or create a literary or musical work.
  • The orator composed his speech over the week prior.
    Nine numbered symphonies, including the Fifth, were composed by Beethoven.
    It's difficult to compose without absolute silence.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Let me compose / Something in verse as well as prose.
  • * B. R. Haydon
  • the genius that composed such works as the "Standard" and "Last Supper"
  • (sometimes, reflexive) To calm; to free from agitation.
  • The defendant couldn't compose herself and was found in contempt.
  • * Dryden
  • Compose thy mind; / Nor frauds are here contrived, nor force designed.
  • To arrange the elements of a photograph or other picture.
  • To settle (an argument, dispute etc.); to come to a settlement.
  • * 2010 , (Christopher Hitchens), Hitch-22 , Atlantic 2011, p. 280:
  • By trying his best to compose matters with the mullahs, he had sincerely shown that he did not seek a violent collision
  • To arrange in proper form; to reduce to order; to put in proper state or condition.
  • * Dryden
  • In a peaceful grave my corpse compose .
  • * Milton
  • How in safety best we may / Compose our present evils.
  • (printing, dated) To arrange (types) in a composing stick for printing; to typeset.
  • Derived terms

    * composer * composite * composing stick * composition * compositor * composure * decompose