annihilate

C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /əˈnaɪəˌleɪt/ UK /əˈnaɪəleɪt/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to destroy completely or reduce to nothing

The blast threatened to annihilate the entire city.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to destroy completely or... destroy obliterate exterminate eradicate extinguish demolish decimate

Opposites

create build preserve establish generate

Word family

Derived forms annihilationannihilatorannihilative

Related forms nihilism nil

Etymology

From Late Latin annihilatus, past participle of annihilare ('to reduce to nothing'), from Latin ad- ('to') + nihil ('nothing').

annihilare Latin nihil Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives

# annihilate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** əˈnaɪəˌleɪt
**IPA (UK):** əˈnaɪəleɪt

## Meanings
1. to destroy completely or reduce to nothing

## Examples
- The blast threatened to annihilate the entire city.

## Synonyms
- destroy
- obliterate
- exterminate
- eradicate
- extinguish
- demolish
- decimate

## Antonyms
- create
- build
- preserve
- establish
- generate

## Derived Forms
- annihilation
- annihilator
- annihilative

## Related Forms
- nihilism
- nil

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: annihilare
- Root: nihil

## Etymology
From Late Latin annihilatus, past participle of annihilare ('to reduce to nothing'), from Latin ad- ('to') + nihil ('nothing').

## AI Etymology
Annihilate is from Late Latin annihilatus, past participle of annihilare ('to reduce to nothing'), from Latin ad- ('to') + nihil ('nothing'). In present-day use, it means to destroy completely or reduce to nothing. Derived formations include annihilation, annihilator, and annihilative. Related vocabulary includes nihilism and nil.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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annihilate

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