pulverize
[ puhl-vuh-rahyz ]
/ ˈpʌl vəˌraɪz /
verb (used with object), pul·ver·ized, pul·ver·iz·ing.
to reduce to dust or powder, as by pounding or grinding.
to demolish or crush completely.
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), pul·ver·ized, pul·ver·iz·ing.
to become reduced to dust.
QUIZZES
Fend Off Sciolism With This Word Of The Day Quiz
Are you the Cinderella of this week’s quiz? Test your memory on the words and definitions from March 23–29.
Question 1 of 7
schlep
Also especially British, pul·ver·ise.
Origin of pulverize
OTHER WORDS FROM pulverize
Words nearby pulverize
pulsus rarus, pultaceous, pulu, pulv., pulverable, pulverize, pulverulent, pulvillus, pulvinar, pulvinate, pulvinus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for pulverize
British Dictionary definitions for pulverize
pulverize
pulverise
/ (ˈpʌlvəˌraɪz) /
verb
to reduce (a substance) to fine particles, as by crushing or grinding, or (of a substance) to be so reduced
(tr) to destroy completely; defeat or injure seriously
Derived forms of pulverize
pulverizable or pulverisable, adjectivepulverization or pulverisation, nounpulverizer or pulveriser, nounWord Origin for pulverize
C16: from Late Latin pulverizare or French pulvériser, from Latin pulverum, from pulvis dust
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012