Word
obliterate
Phoneticsoblit·er·ate
US/əˈbɫɪtɝˌeɪt/
UK/əblˈɪtəɹˌeɪt/
Definition
v. to destroy something completely so that it is no longer visible or exists at all. You use this when talking about things like buildings, memories, or even small parts of the body.
v. to destroy or remove something completely, leaving no trace or evidence of its former existence. Often used in medical contexts to describe the removal of tissue or in historical contexts to describe the total destruction of a site.
Examples
“The fire almost obliterated the entire forest.”
“The surgeon performed a procedure to obliterate the varicose veins, ensuring they would no longer be visible or cause pain.”
“The massive earthquake was so powerful that it threatened to obliterate the coastal village, though emergency services managed to save the historic church from total ruin.”
Examples
simple
“The fire almost obliterated the entire forest.”
contextual
“The surgeon performed a procedure to obliterate the varicose veins, ensuring they would no longer be visible or cause pain.”
complex
“The massive earthquake was so powerful that it threatened to obliterate the coastal village, though emergency services managed to save the historic church from total ruin.”
Real-World Examples
“In the past, scientists theorized that Venus possibly had a moon that was hit by something massive, obliterating it.” “The catastrophic flash floods that hit Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, thundering down valleys and obliterating entire villages, killed at least 469 people and left more than 1,300 missing.” Etymology
PIE word *h₁epi (start of 17th century) From earlier obliterat, learned borrowing from Latin obliterātus, oblitterātus (“having been blotted out, effaced, erased; having been forgotten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix, of participial origin)). Obliterātus and oblitterātus are respectively the perfect passive participles of obliterō and oblitterō (“to blot out, efface, erase, obliterate; to cause to be forgotten”), probably either: * from ob- (prefix meaning ‘against; towards’) + littera (“letter of the alphabet; (metonymically) handwriting”) (further etymology unknown); or from oblītus (“disregarded, neglected; forgotten”), influenced by littera. Oblītus is the perfect passive participle of oblinō (“to daub over, besmear”), from ob- + possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ- (“not heavy, light; brief; swift”). Cognates * Catalan obliterar (“to erase; to cancel (a stamp); to close up or fill (a body cavity, vessel, etc.)”) * Middle French oblitérer (modern French oblitérer (“to cause (memories) to fade; to block, obstruct; to cancel (a stamp, ticket, etc.) so it cannot be reused”)) * Portuguese obliterar (“to destroy completely; to erase”) * Spanish obliterar (“to destroy completely; to erase”)
Learned borrowing from Latin obliterātus (see more at Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix, of participial origin)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/obliterate