exterminate

/eks'tə:mineit/
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Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To destroy completely, as if down to the roots; to eliminate entirely: This meaning emphasizes total annihilation, leaving no trace or possibility of return. It often implies a systematic and thorough process.
    • To kill on a large scale; to kill en masse: This meaning focuses on the killing of a large number of people or organisms, often as part of a deliberate campaign.
Usage and Examples

  • To destroy completely:

    • The government launched a campaign to exterminate the invasive insect species.
    • The goal was not just to defeat the enemy but to exterminate their ideology completely.

  • To kill on a large scale:

    • The regime sought to exterminate all political dissidents.
    • Using poison in the warren was a brutal way to exterminate the rabbits.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
  • "Exterminate" vs. "Destroy": While "destroy" can mean to damage severely, "exterminate" carries a stronger connotation of complete eradication, often of living things. You can destroy a building, but you exterminate a population or pest.
  • Systematic Action: The word often implies an organized, deliberate effort, not a random or spontaneous act.
    • The program was designed to systematically exterminate the disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Variants and Related Words
  • Extermination (n): The act of exterminating; complete destruction.
    • The extermination of the pests took several months.
  • Exterminator (n): A person or thing that exterminates, especially a person whose job is to destroy pests.
    • We had to call an exterminator for the termite problem.
Synonyms
  • Annihilate: To destroy utterly.
  • Eradicate: To remove or destroy completely.
  • Extirpate: To root out and destroy completely (formal).
  • Wipe out: To destroy completely (informal).
Antonyms
  • Protect: To keep safe from harm.
  • Preserve: To maintain in its original or existing state.
  • Save: To rescue from harm or danger.
Related Phrases and Contexts
  • "Exterminate with extreme prejudice": A formal or euphemistic phrase, sometimes used in military or bureaucratic contexts, meaning to eliminate utterly and without hesitation.
  • Pest Control Context: In everyday use, "exterminate" is commonly associated with the professional elimination of rodents, insects, or other pests.
    • The company's slogan is "We exterminate your pest problems."
Verb
  1. destroy completely, as if down to the roots
    • the vestiges of political democracy were soon uprooted root out corruption
  2. kill en masse; kill on a large scale; kill many
    • Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals of Europe

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