Standard Lemma guide

exterminate

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/
  • UK: /ɪkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/
  • US: /ɪkˈstɝ.mɪ.neɪt/
  • US: /ɛkˈstɝ.mɪ.neɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 K S T ER1 M AH0 N EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population, often of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To bring a definite end to; to finish completely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

Examples

  • The public school failed to exterminate truancy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

kill en masse; kill on a large scale; kill many

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals of Europe

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: kill off

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: kill

4

verb

Meaning 4

destroy completely, as if down to the roots

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the vestiges of political democracy were soon uprooted
  • root out corruption

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: uproot, eradicate, extirpate, root out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: destroy, destruct

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin exterminātus, perfect passive participle of exterminō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“thoroughly”) + terminō (“to finish, close, end”), from terminus (“limit, end”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bashkir: ҡырыу (qırıw) — to kill all of a population
  • Bulgarian: изтребвам (iztrebvam) — to kill all of a population
  • Catalan: exterminar — to kill all of a population
  • Chinese Mandarin: 滅絕 /灭绝 (mièjué) — to kill all of a population
  • Czech: vyhladit — to kill all of a population
  • Czech: vyhubit — to kill all of a population
  • Danish: udrydde — to kill all of a population
  • Dutch: uitroeien — to kill all of a population
  • Dutch: verdelgen — to kill all of a population
  • French: exterminer — to kill all of a population
  • German: ausrotten — to kill all of a population
  • Greek: εξολοθρεύω (exolothrévo) — to kill all of a population
  • Greek: εξοντώνω (exontóno) — to kill all of a population
  • Hebrew: חיסל — to kill all of a population
  • Italian: sterminare — to kill all of a population
  • Ladino: eksterminar — to kill all of a population
  • Macedonian: истреби (istrebi) — to kill all of a population
  • Māori: haepapa — to kill all of a population
  • Māori: hoepapa — to kill all of a population
  • Māori: whakamōtī — to kill all of a population
  • Māori: tipihauraro — to kill all of a population
  • Persian: ریشهکن کردن (riše-kan kardan) — to kill all of a population
  • Portuguese: exterminar — to kill all of a population
  • Portuguese: erradicar — to kill all of a population
  • Romanian: exterminare — to kill all of a population
  • Russian: истребля́ть (istrebljátʹ) — to kill all of a population
  • Russian: истреби́ть (istrebítʹ) — to kill all of a population
  • Serbo-Croatian: истребити — to kill all of a population
  • Serbo-Croatian: istrebiti — to kill all of a population
  • Spanish: exterminar — to kill all of a population
  • Thai: ทําลายล้าง — to kill all of a population
  • Thai: ฆ่าล้าง — to kill all of a population
  • Thai: กวาดล้าง (gwàat-láang) — to kill all of a population
  • Thai: ล้างบาง — to kill all of a population
  • Turkish: kökünü kurutmak — to kill all of a population
  • Ukrainian: вини́щувати (vynýščuvaty) — to kill all of a population
  • Ukrainian: виво́дити (vyvódyty) — to kill all of a population
  • Yiddish: פֿאַרטיליקן (fartilikn) — to kill all of a population
  • Bulgarian: унищожавам (uništožavam) — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Catalan: exterminar — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Dutch: afmaken — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Dutch: beëindigen — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Dutch: uitroeien — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Greek: επιτυγχάνω (epityncháno) — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Central Kurdish: لەناوبردن (lenawbirdin) — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Ladino: eksterminar — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Portuguese: exterminar — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Portuguese: aniquilar — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Russian: уничтожа́ть (uničtožátʹ) — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Russian: уничто́жить (uničtóžitʹ) — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Spanish: despalillar — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Spanish: exterminar — to bring a definite end to, finish completely
  • Yiddish: פֿאַרטיליקן (fartilikn) — to bring a definite end to, finish completely