obliterate

verb

oblit·er·ate ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrāt How to pronounce obliterate (audio)

ō-

obliterated; obliterating

transitive verb

: to remove utterly from recognition or memory

… a successful love crowned all other successes and obliterated all other failures.

J. W. Krutch

: to remove from existence : destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of

The tide eventually obliterated all evidence of our sandcastles.

medical : to cause (something, such as a bodily part, a scar, or a duct conveying body fluid) to disappear or collapse : remove sense 4

a blood vessel obliterated by inflammation

: to make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or wearing away

A dimness like a fog envelops consciousness / As mist obliterates a crag.

Emily Dickinson

: cancel sense 2

obliterate a postage stamp

obliteration

ə-ˌbli-tə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce obliterate (audio)

ō-

noun

obliterator

ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrā-tər How to pronounce obliterate (audio)

ō-

noun

Did you know?

Obliterate has been preserved in our language for centuries, and that’s not nothing! The earliest evidence in our files traces obliterate back to the mid-16th century as a word for removing something from memory. Soon after, English speakers began to use it for the specific act of blotting out or obscuring anything written, and eventually its meaning was generalized to removing anything from existence. In the meantime, physicians began using obliterate for the surgical act of filling or closing up a vessel, cavity, or passage with tissue, which would then cause the bodily part to collapse or disappear. Today obliterate thrives in the English lexicon with the various senses it has acquired over the years, including its final stamp on the language: “to cancel (something, especially a postage stamp).”

Example Sentences

in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring

Recent Examples on the Web As technological and logistical advancements obliterate physical boundaries, cross-border e-commerce gains momentum.

Percy Hung, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 The risk that space might upset the military balance ultimately spurred an era of arms control agreements -- because nuclear-armed ballistic missiles had the potential to obliterate an adversary.

Tim Lister, CNN, 5 Nov. 2021 But in modern times, thanks to humanity’s meddling with the climate and the landscape, these fires have ballooned into unnatural beasts that instead obliterate ecosystems.

Wired, 21 July 2022 But Henry is well known for having tried to obliterate all traces of his ex-wives.

New York Times, 7 July 2022 Trump wanted to destroy governmental institutions; Nixon wanted to employ them to his ends but not to obliterate them.

David M. Shribman, BostonGlobe.com, 11 June 2022 The types of immunity more relevant to the current pandemic era blunt the frequency and severity of future waves, rather than obliterate them.

Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 4 May 2022 These sentries are helping the heroes save lives rather than looking to obliterate humans.

Chris Smith, BGR, 15 Apr. 2022 The first team to obliterate the spell will win the series.

New York Times, 27 May 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin oblīterātus, oblitterātus, past participle of oblīterāre, oblitterāre "to cause to be forgotten or fall into disuse, make disappear," from ob- "against, facing" + -līterāre, litterāre, verbal derivative of lītera, littera letter entry 1 — more at ob-

Note: The original meaning of oblīterāre was apparently "to wipe out letters, words, etc.," but this sense is not clearly attested in classical Latin. Attested senses appear to have been influenced by oblītus, past participle of oblīvīscī "to forget, put out of mind" (cf. oblivion).

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

单词	obliterating
释义	obliterate verb oblit·er·ate ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrāt ō- obliterated; obliterating transitive verb 1 a : to remove utterly from recognition or memory … a successful love crowned all other successes and obliterated all other failures. J. W. Krutch b : to remove from existence : destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of The tide eventually obliterated all evidence of our sandcastles. c medical : to cause (something, such as a bodily part, a scar, or a duct conveying body fluid) to disappear or collapse : remove sense 4 a blood vessel obliterated by inflammation 2 : to make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or wearing away A dimness like a fog envelops consciousness / As mist obliterates a crag. Emily Dickinson 3 : cancel sense 2 obliterate a postage stamp obliteration ə-ˌbli-tə-ˈrā-shən ō- noun obliterator ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrā-tər ō- noun Did you know? Obliterate has been preserved in our language for centuries, and that’s not nothing! The earliest evidence in our files traces obliterate back to the mid-16th century as a word for removing something from memory. Soon after, English speakers began to use it for the specific act of blotting out or obscuring anything written, and eventually its meaning was generalized to removing anything from existence. In the meantime, physicians began using obliterate for the surgical act of filling or closing up a vessel, cavity, or passage with tissue, which would then cause the bodily part to collapse or disappear. Today obliterate thrives in the English lexicon with the various senses it has acquired over the years, including its final stamp on the language: “to cancel (something, especially a postage stamp).” Synonyms abolish annihilate black out blot out cancel clean (up) efface eradicate erase expunge exterminate extirpate liquidate root (out) rub out snuff (out) stamp (out) sweep (away) wipe out See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring Recent Examples on the Web As technological and logistical advancements obliterate physical boundaries, cross-border e-commerce gains momentum. Percy Hung, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 The risk that space might upset the military balance ultimately spurred an era of arms control agreements -- because nuclear-armed ballistic missiles had the potential to obliterate an adversary. Tim Lister, CNN, 5 Nov. 2021 But in modern times, thanks to humanity’s meddling with the climate and the landscape, these fires have ballooned into unnatural beasts that instead obliterate ecosystems. Wired, 21 July 2022 But Henry is well known for having tried to obliterate all traces of his ex-wives. New York Times, 7 July 2022 Trump wanted to destroy governmental institutions; Nixon wanted to employ them to his ends but not to obliterate them. David M. Shribman, BostonGlobe.com, 11 June 2022 The types of immunity more relevant to the current pandemic era blunt the frequency and severity of future waves, rather than obliterate them. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 4 May 2022 These sentries are helping the heroes save lives rather than looking to obliterate humans. Chris Smith, BGR, 15 Apr. 2022 The first team to obliterate the spell will win the series. New York Times, 27 May 2022 See More Word History Etymology borrowed from Latin oblīterātus, oblitterātus, past participle of oblīterāre, oblitterāre "to cause to be forgotten or fall into disuse, make disappear," from ob- "against, facing" + -līterāre, litterāre, verbal derivative of lītera, littera letter entry 1 — more at ob- Note: The original meaning of oblīterāre was apparently "to wipe out letters, words, etc.," but this sense is not clearly attested in classical Latin. Attested senses appear to have been influenced by oblītus, past participle of oblīvīscī "to forget, put out of mind" (cf. oblivion). First Known Use 1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Kids Definition obliterate verb oblit·er·ate ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrāt obliterated; obliterating : to remove, destroy, or hide completely Medical Definition obliterate transitive verb oblit·er·ate ə-ˈblit-ə-ˌrāt, ō- obliterated; obliterating : to cause to disappear (as a bodily part or a scar) or collapse (as a duct conveying body fluid) a blood vessel obliterated by inflammation obliterating verb present participle of obliterate as in eradicating to destroy all traces of in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance eradicating erasing destroying abolishing annihilating expunging effacing exterminating shattering extirpating demolishing liquidating canceling cancelling killing wiping out dismantling decimating ravaging ruining blotting out wrecking discarding flattening devastating blacking out consuming razing smashing rubbing out sweeping (away) dissolving fragmenting pulverizing wasting stamping (out) devouring dynamiting snuffing (out) blasting splintering dooming ejecting rooting (out) atomizing cleaning (up) expelling finishing dashing excising totaling zapping jettisoning ditching tearing down powdering terminating ousting totalling killing off cutting blowing up mowing (down) throwing out Antonyms & Near Antonyms preserving protecting saving creating conserving forming making constructing building shaping forging restoring reconstructing repairing manufacturing framing rebuilding fashioning fixing renewing fabricating revamping patching renovating mending reconditioning See More
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obliterate

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

Medical Definition

transitive verb

verb