French word

démolir

Pronunciation

IPA/demoliʁ/

Meaning

  • verbtear down

Example

Demain, ils vont démolir l'immeuble.

Tomorrow, they are going to tear down the building.

Illustration for démolir (tear down)

More examples

Ils vont démolir l'ancienne école du quartier.

They are going to demolish the neighborhood's old school.

Core concept

A solid building reduced by machinery to rubble, leaving an open site.

Common phrases

  • démolir un immeuble

    demolish an apartment building

  • démolir une école

    demolish a school

  • démolir un mur

    demolish a wall

Similar words

détruire: Destroying an object or building until it no longer exists or keeps its form.
abattre: Knocking down a building or tree.
raser: Completely demolishing a building and flattening the ground.

Definition in French

Détruire un bâtiment ou une construction pour la rendre hors d'usage, souvent afin de libérer l'emplacement pour quelque chose de nouveau.

Word origin

Démolir comes from Latin demoliri, formed with de- meaning 'down or away' and moliri meaning 'to build or undertake'.

Usage tips

  • Démolir is a regular -ir verb of the finir class, with ils démolissent in the present and démoli as the past participle.

Other meanings

  • dismantleverb

Opposites

Related words

  • démolitiondemolitionnoun
  • démolidemolishedadjective

Word lists with this word