vaporize

American  

[vey-puh-rahyz] / ˈveɪ pəˌraɪz /

especially British, vaporise

verb (used with object)

vaporized, vaporizing

1. to cause to change into vapor.

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verb (used without object)

vaporized, vaporizing

1. to become converted into vapor.

2. to indulge in boastful talk; speak braggingly.

vaporize British  

/ ˈveɪpəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to change or cause to change into vapour or into the gaseous state

2. to evaporate or disappear or cause to evaporate or disappear, esp suddenly

3. to destroy or be destroyed by being turned into a gas as a result of extreme heat (for example, generated by a nuclear explosion)

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Other Word Forms

• revaporize verb
• unvaporized adjective
• vaporizable adjective
• vaporization noun

Etymology

Origin of vaporize

First recorded in 1625–35; vapor + -ize

Example Sentences

In January 2002, Global Crossing filed for bankruptcy, vaporizing tens of billions in market value.

From The Wall Street Journal

The suit, filed last week in Arlington, Va. where Boeing is based, is the latest to allege that exposure to vaporized engine oils during a flight has led to long-term illness.

From The Wall Street Journal

As the ice keeps vaporizing, it gradually slides downhill, carving a long, deep trench with ridges on either side.

From Science Daily

Airbus and Boeing, the two biggest aircraft manufacturers, have acknowledged that malfunctions can lead to oil and hydraulic fluid leaking into the engines or power units and vaporizing at extreme heat.

From The Wall Street Journal

After Sinner won Wimbledon, it wasn’t hard to find murmuring that the 24-year-old Italian might be making a separation, that his sudden mastery of the grass vaporized Alcaraz’s last edge.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• annihilate
• atomize
• destroy
• exterminate
• kill