different between exterminate vs annihilate

English

Etymology

From Latin extermin?tus, perfect passive participle of extermin?, itself from ex- + termin? (“I finish, close, end”) (from terminus (“limit, end”)).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k?st??.m?.ne?t/, /?k?st??.m?.ne?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?st?.m?.ne?t/, /?k?st?.m?.ne?t/

Verb

exterminate (third-person singular simple present exterminates, present participle exterminating, simple past and past participle exterminated)

1. (transitive) To kill all of (a population of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.

   We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.

2. (figuratively, transitive) To bring a definite end to; finish completely.

   The public school failed to exterminate truancy.

Synonyms

• (to kill all): annihilate, eradicate, extermine, uproot
• (to bring an end to): stamp out
• See also Thesaurus:destroy

Derived terms

Related terms

• terminate
• termination
• terminator

Translations

Latin

Verb

extermin?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of extermin?

English

Etymology

From Latin annihil? (“I reduce to nothing”), from ad (“to”) + nihil (“nothing”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??na??.le?t/

Verb

annihilate (third-person singular simple present annihilates, present participle annihilating, simple past and past participle annihilated)

1. To reduce to nothing, to destroy, to eradicate.

   An atom bomb can annihilate a whole city.

2. (particle physics) To react with antimatter, producing gamma radiation and (for higher-mass reactants, especially composite particles such as protons) lighter particles (such as pions, muons, and neutrinos).
3. (archaic) To treat as worthless, to vilify.
4. (transitive) To render null and void; to abrogate.

Synonyms

• (to reduce to nothing): benothing, destroy, eradicate, extinguish
• See also Thesaurus:destroy

Antonyms

• (to reduce to nothing): create, generate

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• annihilate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• annihilate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Latin

Verb

annihil?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of annihil?