to exterminate
60
6.9
- verb
- /ɪkˈstɜːrmɪneɪt/
- NSFW
:
exterminar
- We're just exterminating some pests trying to destroy our crops.
- exterminate the people
- exterminate the species
- exterminate the population
We need to drive out and exterminate prejudice and wrong headed ideas.
- We need to drive out and exterminate prejudice and wrong headed ideas.
- Then they come to find out he's the one doing all the exterminating.
- Epicurus uprooted and exterminated all religion from the human heart.
- Yes, that's one reason why exterminating the people in Gaza doesn't particularly shock him.
- God's not going to just sit back if you're literally stirring a pot trying to exterminate the Jewish people that he founded.
- Those who fell into this class did so at the point of a spear, having neither been assimilated nor exterminated when the oppressors came knocking.
- And you know, this was a situation where an entire race was attempted to be exterminated off the face of planet Earth.
- So the exterminator advised us after he was finished exterminating to contact a builder and seal the wall.
- They wanted to enslave and exterminate the Jews, yes, but the Slavic people, the Slavs.
- And in accordance with that, the British closed the gates of Palestine at the time when the Jews were starting to be exterminated in Europe.
- There are people who want to see us exterminated, in fact from this earth and we have to be wary of them, OK?
- Just as the people of Israel would like to live in peace and free from the threat of attack from a terrorist group that wants to exterminate them.
- Like exterminating the heretical idea or standing up for a principle might be so valuable to me that I'm willing to use violence even if it's costly.
- They they weren't pursued and chased down until everyone was exterminated.
Examples
-
To protect the ecosystem, we must exterminate invasive species that harm native wildlife.
-
Wolves survive in the area because humans have not felt a need to exterminate them.
Academic text (1996) -
We need to drive out and exterminate prejudice and wrong headed ideas.
-
The exterminators arrived on Friday to exterminate the roaches in the apartment.
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Farmers often hire services to exterminate pests that threaten their crops.
Synonyms
∞
1.6
To remove or throw away something you do not want
682
2.8
Stop something from working or continuing
502
3.4
Remove or kill something completely so it is gone
197
4.6
Put an animal to death because it is seriously ill or dangerous
189
4.2
Destroy something so nothing is left
88
3.7
Remove something so it is no longer used
85
6.6
Remove something harmful completely, for example a disease or pest
71
7.5
To destroy something completely so nothing remains
63
7.5
To destroy completely, often killing many people
49
6.3
To remove unwanted substances, things, or people by cleaning
44
4.8
Destroy almost all members of a group, like a type of animal or product
38
4.4
To pull a plant out of the ground or force people to leave home
33
7.1
To burn things like documents or waste until they turn to ash
21
3.9
Find and completely remove something harmful or hidden
13
7.7
Kill an entire group of people or animals so none are left
13
4.2
To stop something completely using strong action
9
7.7
Put an end to something or to someone's life
9
9.3
To kill someone who is a threat
1
3.9
To destroy or carry something away completely, for example by water
1
9.9
To destroy something completely, including its root
Antonyms
How Thorough
Surface Forms
Morphology
exterminate = terminate (semi-transparent) = ex + terminate + ex
The word is formed by the prefix 'ex-' plus the verb 'terminate', but 'exterminate' carries a stronger sense of total destruction than the basic 'end' sense of 'terminate', so learners may not infer the full meaning from 'terminate' alone.
Etymology
Exterminate comes from Latin parts ex- 'out' and terminus 'boundary' or 'end', the same root you see in terminate. So to exterminate something is to drive it 'beyond the boundary' — to get rid of or destroy it completely.