annihilate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /əˈnaɪəˌleɪt/ UK /əˈnaɪəleɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to destroy completely or reduce to nothing

The blast threatened to annihilate the entire city.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

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

Simplified etymology

Annihilate derives from Latin annihilatus, “reduced to nothing,” which contains nihil, “nothing.” It entered English in the 14th century and was first used as an adjective meaning “destroyed or annulled.”

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

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# 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
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown