English Reference
Adjective

obliterated

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

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.

Usage

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

Here the visitor was able to experience the artist’s most potent metaphor for the endlessness of the cosmos, a universe in which the individual’s identity is perpetually obliterated.

The Guardian· 27 Aug 2026

He spent the early weeks of 2025 obliterated by the illness.

The Guardian· 16 Aug 2026

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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated