What does annihilate mean?
To annihilate is to destroy something so thoroughly that nothing of it remains. The verb carries a forceful, absolute quality that sets it apart from milder terms like 'damage' or 'reduce': an annihilated army, city, or argument has been wiped out of existence altogether. Beyond literal destruction, annihilate is frequently used figuratively and hyperbolically, most commonly in sport and competition, as when one team annihilates another by an overwhelming score. In physics it has a precise technical meaning: when a particle encounters its antiparticle, both are said to annihilate, their mass converted into energy. The word derives from the late Latin annihilare, built on nihil, meaning 'nothing' — the same root that gives us nil and nihilism. Because of its dramatic connotations, annihilate lends intensity to writing and speech, making it a valuable word whenever total defeat, complete destruction, or utter obliteration needs to be expressed with conviction.
verbTo destroy something or someone completely, leaving nothing behind; to utterly defeat an opponent.
- To destroy something entirely, so that nothing remains.
- To defeat an opponent decisively and overwhelmingly (often in sport or competition).
- (Physics) To be converted totally into energy when a particle meets its antiparticle.
"The invading army annihilated the defending forces in a single, devastating assault."
"The bombing campaign annihilated entire neighbourhoods within hours."
"In last night's final, the champions annihilated their rivals 6–0."
The Latin root of 'annihilate' literally means to reduce a thing to nothing — nihil — the same root behind the word 'nil' in sports scores.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of annihilate
Annihilate comes from the late Latin annihilare, formed from ad- ('to') plus nihil ('nothing'), so its original sense was 'to reduce to nothing'. It passed into English via Old French in the early modern period, with recorded uses from around the mid-sixteenth century. Its root nihil also underlies 'nil', 'nihilism', and related words such as 'annihilation'.
Related word forms
How annihilate is actually used
Formal to neutral register. In everyday informal use it is often hyperbolic, especially for lopsided sporting results. The physics sense is restricted to technical contexts.
Easily confused with annihilate
Nihilism is a philosophical belief that life is without meaning, whereas annihilate is a verb meaning to destroy completely.