exterminate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
exterminationnoun
-
exterminatornoun
-
nonexterminationnoun
-
self-exterminationnoun
-
exterminableadjective
-
exterminativeadjective
-
unexterminableadjective
-
unexterminatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exterminatesimple
-
exterminatessimple
-
have exterminatedperfect
-
has exterminatedperfect
-
am exterminatingprogressive
-
are exterminatingprogressive
-
is exterminatingprogressive
-
have been exterminatingperfect progressive
-
has been exterminatingperfect progressive
Past
-
exterminatedsimple
-
had exterminatedperfect
-
was exterminatingprogressive
-
were exterminatingprogressive
-
had been exterminatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exterminate
1535–45; < Latin exterminātus, past participle of extermināre to extermine; see -ate 1
Explanation
If your house becomes infested with cockroaches, mice, or even ants, you might have to exterminate them. It is certainly not a pleasant process, but often quite necessary. To exterminate means "to kill off or destroy completely." Notice that it includes the word terminate which means, “to end.” It is usually used in reference to insects or rodents, but also unfortunately in reference to people or groups of people. It is just a coincidence that this verb shares a syllable with termite — a bug that often has to be exterminated before it eats through the wood of your home.
Vocabulary lists containing exterminate
"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Persepolis
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We are innately biased against outsiders,” writes David Livingstone Smith in his book “Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others.”
From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2023
Exterminate All the Brutes The documentary series concludes with two new episodes.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2021
Fans of Dr Who will know that the Daleks - catchphrase "Exterminate" - have, at some stage, had their own parliament and prime minister.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2021
“You already know enough,” wrote Sven Lindqvist in Exterminate All the Brutes.
From The Guardian • Aug. 15, 2014
Exterminate the pond snails, and immediately the liver fluke is completely destroyed, and all future loss from its ravages is saved to the pastoralists.
From An Australian Bird Book A Pocket Book for Field Use by Leach, John Albert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
