obliterate

English

Etymology

From Latin oblitterātus, perfect passive participle of oblitterō (“blot out”), from oblinō (“smear over”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əbˈlɪtəɹeɪt/

• Audio (US)

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Verb

obliterate (third-person singular simple present obliterates, present participle obliterating, simple past and past participle obliterated)

1. To remove completely, leaving no trace; to wipe out; to destroy.
   • (Can we date this quote by William Black (novelist) and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The harsh and bitter feelings of this or that experience are slowly obliterated.

   • 1907, Robert William Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:destroy

Related terms

• obliteration

Translations

to remove completely, leaving no trace; to wipe out; to destroy

• Catalan: anihilar (ca), aniquilar (ca), esmicolar (ca), destrossar (ca), destruir (ca)
• Dutch: uitwissen (nl)
• Finnish: tuhota (fi), hävittää (fi)
• French: annihiler (fr)
• German: auslöschen (de)
• Hungarian: eltöröl (hu), kiirt (hu)
• Italian: obliterare (it), annullare (it), spazzare (it)

• Latin: oblitterō, annihilō (la)
• Maori: urupatu
• Portuguese: aniquilar (pt), obliterar (pt)
• Russian: уничто́жить (ru) pf (uničtóžitʹ)
• Spanish: remover (es), borrar (es), destruir (es), obliterar (es), arrasar (es)
• Swedish: utplåna (sv)

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Italian

Verb

obliterate

1. second-person plural present indicative of obliterare
2. second-person plural imperative of obliterare
3. feminine plural of obliterato

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Latin

Verb

obliterāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of obliterō