uproot
verb · noun
Simple meaning
Destroy completely, as if down to the roots.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhprootSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əpˈɹut
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
Destroy completely, as if down to the roots
“The vestiges of political democracy were soon uprooted.”
transitivefiguratively
To destroy (something) utterly; to eradicate, exterminate.
transitivefiguratively
To remove (someone or something) from a familiar circumstance, especially suddenly and unwillingly.
transitive
To tear up (a plant, etc.) by the roots, or as if by the roots; to extirpate, to root up.
intransitivereflexive
Of oneself or someone: to move away from a familiar environment (for example, to live elsewhere).
transitive
Of a pig or other animal: to dig up (something in the ground) using the snout; to rummage for (something) in the ground; to grub up, to root, to rout.
noun
The act of uprooting something.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Destroy completely, as if down to the roots
Used this way, uproot is a common word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“The vestiges of political democracy were soon uprooted.”
- 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 uproot
- “Uproot the vine that has spread all over the garden.”verb
- “The vestiges of political democracy were soon uprooted.”verb
- “The war uprooted many people.”verb
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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.