SKIP TO CONTENT

razing

Use the noun razing when you talk about the utter, total destruction of a building. The razing of your old elementary school might bring tears to your eyes.

When a house is knocked down, flattened by a bulldozer, you can say it's been razed. The act of this happening is a razing. The razing of whole cities can happen during war, when bombs destroy blocks of buildings. Your dad might order the razing of your childhood treehouse once it's gone unused for years. The verb raze was originally racen, "to pull or knock down," from the Old French raser, "to scrape or shave."

Definitions of razing
  1. noun
    the event of a structure being completely demolished and leveled
    synonyms: wrecking
    see moresee less
    type of:
    demolition, destruction, wipeout
    an event (or the result of an event) that completely destroys something
  2. noun
    complete destruction of a building
    synonyms: demolishing, leveling, tearing down
    see moresee less
    type of:
    destruction, devastation
    the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘razing'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE

Look up razing for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.

VocabTrainer - Vocabulary.com's Vocabulary Trainer