ENGLISH
REFERENCE

obliterated

adj.
C1 Advanced US //əˈbɫɪtɝˌeɪtɪd// UK //əblˈɪtəɹˌeɪtɪd// oblit·er·at·ed Slang

adj. completely destroyed or wiped out so that nothing remains. In casual conversation, it can also mean being extremely drunk or tired.

adj. having been utterly destroyed, erased, or made invisible. Often functions as a participial adjective describing a state of total elimination or, in informal contexts, extreme intoxication.


SIMPLE

The old building was obliterated by the explosion.

CONTEXTUAL

Heavy snow obliterated the mountain trail, making it impossible for the hikers to find their way back.

COMPLEX

The ancient inscriptions had been so thoroughly obliterated by centuries of wind and sand that the archaeologists could only guess at the original text.

Synonyms
Origin

From obliterate + -ed (suffix forming adjectives; and past tenses and past participles of regular verbs).

Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'be', 'become', or 'look'.

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