pulverize

especially British, pul·ver·ise

[puhl-vuh-rahyz]

verb (used with object)

pulverized, pulverizing 

1. to reduce to dust or powder, as by pounding or grinding.

2. to demolish or crush completely.

3. Slang.,  to defeat, hurt badly, or, figuratively, render helpless.

   The Kid pulverized Jackson with a series of brutal lefts. He's a veteran nightclub comic who can pulverize any audience in seconds.

verb (used without object)

pulverized, pulverizing 

1. to become reduced to dust.

pulverize

/ ˈpʌlvəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to reduce (a substance) to fine particles, as by crushing or grinding, or (of a substance) to be so reduced

2. (tr) to destroy completely; defeat or injure seriously

Other Word Forms

• pulverizable adjective
• pulverization noun
• pulverizer noun
• subpulverizer noun
• unpulverized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pulverize¹

1575–85; < Late Latin pulverizāre to reduce to powder, equivalent to Latin pulver- (stem of pulvis; akin to pollen ) dust + -izāre -ize

Word History and Origins

Origin of pulverize¹

C16: from Late Latin pulverizare or French pulvériser, from Latin pulverum, from pulvis dust

Example Sentences

Norman’s ability to pulverize the ball off the tee led him to British Open victories in 1986 and 1993, though his near misses were just as memorable.

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The site, south of Rogers’ polo field, also was used to pulverize concrete removed from burned properties.

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Retrieving the bodies from the Palestinian territory was difficult because it had been "pulverized," meaning that specialized equipment would be needed to get them out, they added.

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A common guess: his command, on at least five occasions so far, to pulverize boats deemed by intelligence officials to be ferrying narcotics into the U.S.

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Those efforts could be in vain if Haiti’s local economy is pulverized, making recovery efforts more challenging.

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Related Words

• annihilate 
• decimate 
• demolish 
• flatten 
• shatter 
• vanquish 
• vaporize