Word
banish
Phoneticsban·ish, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbænɪʃ/
UK/bˈænɪʃ/
Definitions
01to send away
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to officially order someone to leave a country or place as a punishment.
v. to expel a person from a country or community by official decree, typically as a formal punishment.
“The king decided to banish the knight from the kingdom forever.”
“Historical records indicate that the rebel leaders were banished to a remote island, forbidden from ever returning to the capital.”
02to remove a thought
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to get rid of a thought, fear, or feeling completely.
v. to dismiss or expel a thought, feeling, or idea from the mind.
“She tried to banish all negative thoughts before the big interview.”
“The athlete worked with a psychologist to banish the lingering fear of re-injury that had hampered his performance all season.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and often takes the preposition 'from' to indicate the place of exile.
Etymology
From Middle English banishen, from Old French baniss-, extended stem of banir (“to proclaim, ban, banish”), of Germanic origin and Old English bannan, from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“curse, forbid”). Compare French bannir. Doublet of ban.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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