obliterate
pronunciation
How to pronounce obliterate in British English:
UK [əˈblɪtəreɪt]
How to pronounce obliterate in American English:
US [əˈblɪtəˌret,oˈblɪt-]
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- Verb:
- mark for deletion, rub off, or erase
- make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing
- remove completely from recognition or memory
- do away with completely, without leaving a trace
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- Adjective:
- reduced to nothingness
Word Origin
- obliterate
- obliterate: see letter
- obliterate (v.)
- c. 1600, from Latin obliteratus, past participle of obliterare "cause to disappear, blot out, erase, efface," figuratively "cause to be forgotten," from ob "against" (see ob-) + littera (also litera) "letter, script" (see letter (n.)); abstracted from phrase literas scribere "write across letters, strike out letters." Related: Obliterated; obliterating.
Example
- 1. Aung san is revered by most burmese , but , because of his famous offspring , the junta has tried to obliterate his memory .
- 2. Think about that : one in every ten lightbulbs in u.s. kitchens , wal-marts and baseball stadiums is illuminated by nuclear energy initially designed to obliterate millions of americans .
- 3. In the past three years , its market share gains have even been accelerating , making some people wonder whether the company will eventually obliterate what remains of its competition in search .