Wordwyrt

annihilate

/əˈnaɪəˌleɪt/uh-NIGH-uh-layt
/əˈnaɪəˌleɪt/uh-NIGH-uh-layt

Meaningto bring to nothing

Common meaning: to destroy utterly

‘to, towards (form of ad-)’ + ‘nothing’ → annihilate

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin nihil ‘nothing’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry nihil, p. 1207 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • nihil Latin “nothing”

Related words

nihilism

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