exterminate
verb
Simple meaning
Kill en masse.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihksturmuhnaytSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪksˈtɝməneɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Kill en masse; kill on a large scale; kill many
“Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals of Europe.”
transitive
To kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.
figurativelytransitive
To bring a definite end to; to finish completely.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Kill en masse; kill on a large scale; kill many
Used this way, exterminate is a common word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals of Europe.”
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use exterminate
- “Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals of Europe.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “exterminate” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.