annihilate

[ uh-nahy-uh-leyt ]
/ əˈnaɪ əˌleɪt /

verb (used with object), an·ni·hi·lat·ed, an·ni·hi·lat·ing.

to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence; destroy utterly: The heavy bombing almost annihilated the city.
to destroy the collective existence or main body of; wipe out: to annihilate an army.
to annul; make void: to annihilate a law.
to cancel the effect of; nullify.
to defeat completely; vanquish: Our basketball team annihilated the visiting team.

Origin of annihilate

1350–1400; Middle English adnichilat(e) destroyed < Late Latin annihilātus brought to nothing, annihilated (past participle of annihilāre) (Latin an- an-2 + nihil nothing + -ātus -ate1)

OTHER WORDS FROM annihilate

an·ni·hi·la·tive [uh-nahy-uh-ley-tiv, ‐uh-luh‐] /əˈnaɪ əˌleɪ tɪv, ‐ə lə‐/, an·ni·hi·la·to·ry [uh-nahy-uh-luh-tawr-ee, ‐tohr-ee] /əˈnaɪ ə ləˌtɔr i, ‐ˌtoʊr i/, adjective un·an·ni·hi·lat·ed, adjective un·an·ni·hi·la·tive, adjective un·an·ni·hi·la·to·ry, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for annihilate

British Dictionary definitions for annihilate

annihilate
/ (əˈnaɪəˌleɪt) /

verb

(tr) to destroy completely; extinguish
(tr) informal to defeat totally, as in debate or argument
(intr) physics to undergo annihilation

Derived forms of annihilate

annihilable (əˈnaɪələbəl), adjective annihilative, adjective annihilator, noun

Word Origin for annihilate

C16: from Late Latin annihilāre to bring to nothing, from Latin nihil nothing