obliterate

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

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.
   • William Black (1841-1898)

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

   • 1907, Robert W. Chambers, chapter VIII, The Younger Set:

     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 Wikisaurus:destroy

Translations

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

• Dutch: uitwissen (nl)
• Finnish: tuhota (fi), hävittää (fi)
• German: auslöschen
• Hungarian: eltöröl (hu), kiirt (hu)
• Italian: obliterare, annullare (it), spazzare (it)
• Latin: oblitterō

• Maori: urupatu
• Portuguese: aniquilar (pt)
• Russian: уничтожить (ru) (uničtožitʹ)
• Spanish: remover (es), borrar (es), destruir (es), obliterar, arrasar (es)
• Swedish: utplåna (sv)

---

Italian

Verb

obliterate

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

---

Latin

Verb

obliterāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of obliterō