Standard Lemma guide

hydrogenate

verb · 2 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: /haɪˈdɹɒdʒəneɪt/
  • UK: /ˈhaɪdɹədʒəneɪt/
  • US: /haɪˈdɹɑd͡ʒəneɪt/
  • US: /ˈhaɪdɹəd͡ʒəneɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AY1 D R AH0 JH AH0 N EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To treat something, or react something, with hydrogen; especially to react an unsaturated fat with hydrogen, in the presence of a nickel catalyst, to produce a harder saturated fat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

combine or treat with or expose to hydrogen; add hydrogen to the molecule of (an unsaturated organic compound)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: dehydrogenate

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ Proto-Hellenic *údōr Ancient Greek ῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr) Ancient Greek ὑδρο- (hudro-)lbor. French hydro- Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh1- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh1os Proto-Hellenic *génos Ancient Greek γένος (génos) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -γενής (-genḗs)lbor. French -gène French hydrogènebor. English hydrogen Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English hydrogenate From hydrogen + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: هَدْرَجَ (hadraja) — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Catalan: hidrogenar — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Finnish: hydrata — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Finnish: vedyttää — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Finnish: kovettaa — treat or react with hydrogen
  • French: hydrogéner — treat or react with hydrogen
  • German: hydrieren — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Irish: hidriginigh — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Italian: idrogenare — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Portuguese: hidrogenar — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Romanian: hidrogena — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Russian: гидри́ровать (gidrírovatʹ) — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Spanish: hidrogenar — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Swedish: hydrera — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Ukrainian: гідрува́ти (hidruváty) — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Ukrainian: гідроґенізува́ти (hidrogenizuváty) — treat or react with hydrogen
  • Welsh: hydrogenu — treat or react with hydrogen