blotted out
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Completely erased, obliterated, or destroyed: Describes something that has been made to disappear entirely, as if wiped clean or reduced to nothingness.
- Utterly defeated or annihilated: Can describe a team, force, or opponent that has been decisively and thoroughly beaten.
Usage
- The term "blotted out" is primarily used as an adjective following a linking verb (e.g., , , ). It describes a state of complete erasure or annihilation.
- It often carries a figurative sense of total removal from memory, sight, or existence.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The ancient city was blotted out by centuries of sandstorms, leaving no trace.
- After the scandal, his achievements were blotted out from the official records.
- The home team was blotted out in the final, losing 10-0.
Advanced Usage
- "to blot out" (phrasal verb): The adjectival form "blotted out" originates from this phrasal verb, meaning to obscure, erase, or destroy.
- He tried to blot out the painful memories. (He tried to erase the painful memories.)
- Dark clouds blotted out the sun. (Dark clouds obscured the sun.)
Variants and Related Words
- Blot (verb): To stain or spot; to obscure or tarnish.
- Ink blotted the page.
- Obliterated (adjective): A close synonym, meaning destroyed completely, leaving no trace.
- Effaced (adjective): Erased or wiped out, often from a surface or from memory.
Synonyms
- Erased
- Expunged
- Annihilated
- Wiped out
- Obliterated
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Blot out: To cover, hide, or destroy completely.
- The government attempted to blot out all evidence of the event.
Related Idioms
- A blot on the landscape/scutcheon: This idiom uses the root word "blot" to mean something that spoils the appearance or reputation of something.
- The old factory is a blot on the landscape. (It is an ugly sight.)
- His crime was a blot on the family's scutcheon. (It damaged the family's honor.)
Adjective
- reduced to nothingness