annihilate
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an·ni·hi·late
(ə-nī′ə-lāt′)v. an·ni·hi·lat·ed, an·ni·hi·lat·ing, an·ni·hi·lates
v.tr.
1.
a. To destroy completely: The naval force was annihilated during the attack.
b. To reduce to nonexistence: "He had not just to hide his hunger; so as not to go mad he had to annihilate it" (Philip Roth).
c. To defeat decisively: annihilated the league champions in the playoffs.
2. Physics To convert (a subatomic particle) to energy or high-energy particles by annihilation.
v.intr.
1. To be completely destructive.
2. Physics To participate in annihilation. Used of particles and antiparticles.
[Late Latin annihilāre, annihilāt- : Latin ad-, ad- + Latin nihil, nothing; see ne in Indo-European roots.]
an·ni′hi·la·bil′i·ty (-lə-bĭl′ĭ-tē) n.
an·ni′hi·la·ble (-lə-bəl) adj.
an·ni′hi·la′tor n.
Synonyms: annihilate, exterminate, extinguish, obliterate
These verbs mean to destroy completely. Annihilate often implies that the destruction is so severe that nothing is left or salvagable: The cannon blasts annihilated the enemy's fortifications.
Exterminate emphasizes the elimination of that which is considered undesirable, especially by killing: "The land had been rendered treeless, as though a tree were a parasite that needed to be exterminated, its stump uprooted and purged" (Madhusree Mukerjee).
Extinguish is to put an end to something or to make something extinct: The teacher's criticism of my essay extinguished my enthusiasm for the project.
To obliterate is to leave no trace of that which is destroyed: The virus obliterates all data on the hard drive of any computer it infects.
These verbs mean to destroy completely. Annihilate often implies that the destruction is so severe that nothing is left or salvagable: The cannon blasts annihilated the enemy's fortifications.
Exterminate emphasizes the elimination of that which is considered undesirable, especially by killing: "The land had been rendered treeless, as though a tree were a parasite that needed to be exterminated, its stump uprooted and purged" (Madhusree Mukerjee).
Extinguish is to put an end to something or to make something extinct: The teacher's criticism of my essay extinguished my enthusiasm for the project.
To obliterate is to leave no trace of that which is destroyed: The virus obliterates all data on the hard drive of any computer it infects.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
annihilate
(əˈnaɪəˌleɪt)vb
1. (tr) to destroy completely; extinguish
2. (tr) informal to defeat totally, as in debate or argument
3. (General Physics) (intr) physics to undergo annihilation
[C16: from Late Latin annihilāre to bring to nothing, from Latin nihil nothing]
annihilable adj
anˈnihilative adj
anˈnihiˌlator n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
an•ni•hi•late
(əˈnaɪ əˌleɪt)v.t. -lat•ed, -lat•ing.
1. to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence.
2. to destroy the collective existence or main body of; wipe out: to annihilate an army.
3. to defeat completely; vanquish: Our team was annihilated in the playoffs.
4. to annul; make void.
5. to cancel the effect of; nullify.
6. Physics. to convert rest mass into energy in the form of one or more photons: A particleannihilates its antiparticle.
[1350–1400; Middle English adnichilat(e) destroyed < Late Latin annihilātus, past participle of annihilāre to destroy = Latin an- an-2 + -nihilāre, v. derivative of nihil nothing]
an•ni′hi•la`tive (-əˌleɪ tɪv, -ə lə-) an•ni′hi•la•to`ry (-ə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i) adj.
an•ni`hi•la′tion, n.
an•ni′hi•la`tor, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
annihilate
Past participle: annihilated
Gerund: annihilating
| Imperative |
|---|
| annihilate |
| annihilate |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Verb | 1. | annihilate - kill in large numbers; "the plague wiped out an entire population" decimate - kill one in every ten, as of mutineers in Roman armies kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
annihilate
verb destroy, abolish, wipe out, erase, eradicate, extinguish, obliterate, liquidate, root out, exterminate, nullify, extirpate, wipe from the face of the earth The army was annihilated.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
annihilate
verb1. To destroy all traces of:
abolish, blot out, clear, eradicate, erase, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, kill, liquidate, obliterate, remove, root (out or up), rub out, snuff out, stamp out, uproot, wipe out.
Idioms: do away with, make an end of, put an end to.
3. To render totally ineffective by decisive defeat:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُـبيد
vyhladitzničit
udryddeudslette
megsemmisít
gereyîa
naikinimassunaikinimassunaikinti
iznīcināt
yerle bir etmek
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
annihilate
vt → vernichten; army also → aufreiben, auslöschen (geh); (fig) hope → zerschlagen; theory → vernichten, zerschlagen; (inf) person, opponent, team → fertigmachen (inf), → in die Pfanne hauen (inf); I felt completely annihilated → ich war völlig am Boden zerstört (inf)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
annihilate
(əˈnaiəleit) verb to destroy completely. The epidemic annihilated the population of the town.
anˌnihiˈlation nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.