堕毁 (duòhuǐ) is a compound verb meaning 'to crash and destroy'—typically describing a sudden, catastrophic failure or collapse resulting in total destruction. The first character 堕 (duò) means 'to fall' or 'to drop,' often with connotations of decline or loss of status; the second character 毁 (huǐ) means 'to destroy' or 'to ruin.' Together, they emphasize both the downward motion (e.g., falling from height, plummeting) and the ensuing annihilation—commonly used for aircraft crashes, structural collapses, or metaphorical downfalls with irreversible damage.

This word carries strong literary and formal weight; it appears more frequently in news reports, historical narratives, or dramatic writing than in casual speech. It implies inevitability and totality: not just damage, but complete obliteration following descent. Unlike simpler verbs like 摔坏 (shuāi huài, 'to break by dropping') or 爆炸 (bàozhà, 'to explode'), 堕毁 stresses the dual sequence—falling *then* being destroyed—and often evokes gravity, fate, or irreversible consequence.