Standard Lemma guide

suppurate

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

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  • /ˈsʌpjəreɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To form or discharge pus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cause to generate pus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to suppurate a sore

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

ripen and generate pus

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her wounds are festering

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fester, maturate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: exhaust, discharge, expel, eject, release

4

verb

Meaning 4

cause to ripen and discharge pus

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The oil suppurates the pustules

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mature

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: draw

History

Etymology

From Latin suppūrātus, past participle of suppūrō, from pūr-, stem of pūs.

Across languages

Translations

34 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَقَيَّحَ (taqayyaḥa) — form or discharge pus
  • Aromanian: prunjedz — form or discharge pus
  • Bulgarian: загноявам (zagnojavam) — form or discharge pus
  • Catalan: supurar — form or discharge pus
  • Cebuano: ansoy — form or discharge pus
  • Chinese Mandarin: 化膿 /化脓 (huànóng) — form or discharge pus
  • Chinese Mandarin: 潰爛 /溃烂 (kuìlàn) — form or discharge pus
  • Czech: hnisat — form or discharge pus
  • Finnish: märkiä — form or discharge pus
  • French: suppurer — form or discharge pus
  • Galician: supurar — form or discharge pus
  • German: eitern — form or discharge pus
  • Greek: πυορροώ (pyorroó) — form or discharge pus
  • Ancient Greek: ἐμπυέω (empuéō) — form or discharge pus
  • Hungarian: elgennyesedik — form or discharge pus
  • Ido: pusifar — form or discharge pus
  • Italian: suppurare — form or discharge pus
  • Japanese: 化膿する (kanō suru) — form or discharge pus
  • Japanese: 爛れる (tadareru) — form or discharge pus
  • Latin: suppūrō — form or discharge pus
  • Luxembourgish: eeteren — form or discharge pus
  • Māori: taemataku — form or discharge pus
  • Middle English: maturen — form or discharge pus
  • Polish: ropieć — form or discharge pus
  • Portuguese: supurar — form or discharge pus
  • Romanian: supura — form or discharge pus
  • Romanian: puroia — form or discharge pus
  • Russian: гнои́ться (gnoítʹsja) — form or discharge pus
  • Spanish: supurar — form or discharge pus
  • Turkish: cerahatlenmek — form or discharge pus
  • Turkish: irinlenmek — form or discharge pus
  • Ottoman Turkish: ایركلنمك (iriñlenmek) — form or discharge pus
  • Vietnamese: mưng mủ — form or discharge pus
  • Woiwurrung: karre noon — form or discharge pus