obliterate
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++o·blit·er·ate /əˈblɪtəreɪt/ verb [transitive] 1 DESTROYto destroy something completely so that nothing remains 完全毁灭〔不留痕迹〕 Hiroshima was nearly obliterated by the atomic bomb. 广岛几乎被原子弹夷为平地。► see thesaurus at destroy2 REMOVEto remove a thought, feeling, or memory from someone’s mind 忘却，抹去〔想法、感情或记忆〕 Nothing could obliterate the memory of those tragic events. 那些悲惨事件的记忆是无法抹去的。3 COVERto cover something completely so that it cannot be seen 遮蔽；覆盖 Then the fog came down, obliterating everything. 随后大雾降下，笼罩了一切。 —obliteration /əˌblɪtəˈreɪʃən/ noun [uncountable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
obliterate• Especially that part she wanted to obliterate.• Who among us is so righteous that a sane society would entrust her with the power to obliterate a city?• Frequent flooding eventually obliterated all traces of the community that used to live there.• His productivity and avidity for life could not obliterate an inner malaise.• Soon the screen was obliterated by the fuzz of burning light behind Ari's eyes.• Entire sections of the city were obliterated by the repeated bombing.• Large areas of the city were obliterated during World War II.• In addition, an AR-IS semiautomatic rifle with an obliterated serial number was found abandoned on the riverbank.• The thick smog hung in the air, obliterating the hills from view.• Perhaps he could obliterate the signature?• I had been given the power to obliterate, to steal a body from its grave and tear it to pieces.Origin obliterate (1500-1600) Latin past participle of obliterare, from litera “letter”o·blit·er·ate verbChineseSyllable
something completely nothing so remains Corpus that to destroy
obliterate
o‧blit‧er‧ate /əˈblɪtəreɪt/
verb [transitive]
Hiroshima was nearly obliterated by the atomic bomb.
2. to remove a thought, feeling, or memory from someone’s mind:
Nothing could obliterate the memory of those tragic events.
3. to cover something completely so that it cannot be seen:
Then the fog came down, obliterating everything.
—obliteration /əˌblɪtəˈreɪʃən/ noun [uncountable]
▪ destroy to damage something so badly that it no longer exists or cannot be used or repaired: The earthquake almost completely destroyed the city. | The twin towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack.
▪devastate to damage a large area very badly and destroy many things in it: Allied bombings in 1943 devastated the city. | The country’s economy has been devastated by years of fighting.
▪demolish to completely destroy a building, either deliberately or by accident: The original 15th century house was demolished in Victorian times. | The plane crashed into a suburb of Paris, demolishing several buildings.
▪flatten to destroy a building or town by knocking it down, bombing it etc, so that nothing is left standing: The town centre was flattened by a 500 lb bomb.
▪wreck to deliberately damage something very badly, especially a room or building: The toilets had been wrecked by vandals. | They just wrecked the place.
▪trash informal to deliberately destroy a lot of the things in a room, house etc: Apparently, he trashed his hotel room while on drugs.
▪obliterate formal to destroy a place so completely that nothing remains: The nuclear blast obliterated most of Hiroshima.
▪reduce something to ruins/rubble/ashes to destroy a building or town completely: The town was reduced to rubble in the First World War.
▪ruin to spoil something completely, so that it cannot be used or enjoyed: Fungus may ruin the crop. | The new houses will ruin the view.
o‧blit‧er‧ate /əˈblɪtəreɪt/
verb [transitive] Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: past participle of obliterare, from litera 'letter'
1. to destroy something completely so that nothing remains:Language: Latin
Origin: past participle of obliterare, from litera 'letter'
2. to remove a thought, feeling, or memory from someone’s mind:
3. to cover something completely so that it cannot be seen:
—obliteration /əˌblɪtəˈreɪʃən/ noun [uncountable]
| THESAURUS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪