exorcise
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to seek to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration or religious or solemn ceremonies.
to exorcise a demon.
-
to free (a person, place, etc.) of evil spirits or malignant influences.
Other Word Forms
- exorcisement noun
- exorciser noun
- unexorcised adjective
Etymology
Origin of exorcise
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin exorcizāre, from Greek exorkízein, equivalent to ex- “out of, from” ( ex- 3 + (h)orkízein “to cause (someone) to swear an oath”
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.
At the Beijing Games, he set the world record for the short program, exorcised the demons from 2018 and became the United States’ first Olympic gold medalist in men’s singles in 12 years.
From Los Angeles Times
The loss has been analysed but not exorcised is his gist.
From BBC
The 28-year-old has been haunted by a comment he made as he struggled in a game against the Patriots in 2019, when he said "I'm seeing ghosts", but Darnold has now exorcised those demons.
From BBC
The modern West tried to exorcise these demons.
“We haven’t forgotten that loss because it ended our season and he helped us exorcise that demon.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
