What does exorcised mean?
"Exorcised" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "exorcise", meaning to have driven out an evil spirit from a person, place, or object, most often through a solemn religious ritual conducted by an exorcist. In its literal sense it belongs to the world of religion and folklore — haunted houses, demonic possession, rites of purification. Yet the word has also developed a widely used figurative meaning: to be exorcised of one's fears, guilt, or painful memories is to be freed of them, as though they were demons in their own right. Journalists and writers frequently use it this way, describing athletes who have "exorcised their demons" by winning after years of failure. The word carries connotations of dramatic release and cleansing after prolonged struggle. Its origin lies in the Greek "exorkizein", meaning to administer an oath, reflecting the ancient belief that spoken vows could compel even supernatural beings to depart.
verbPast tense and past participle of "exorcise": to have driven out an evil spirit or ghost from a person, place, or thing, especially by means of a religious or ritual ceremony; more broadly, to have rid oneself of a troubling memory, feeling, or inner torment.
- Driven out an evil spirit from a person, place, or object, typically through a religious rite.
- Freed oneself from a persistent fear, guilt, memory, or psychological burden.
"The old priest had finally exorcised the demons that haunted the abandoned manor."
"The priest exorcised the supposedly haunted house in a ceremony lasting three hours."
"Writing her memoir finally exorcised the grief she had carried for twenty years."
Before it ever meant casting out demons, "exorcise" literally meant making someone swear an oath — the ancient Greeks bound evil spirits with words as much as rituals.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exorcised
"Exorcised" derives from the Greek "exorkizein", formed from "ex-" (out) and "horkos" (oath), originally meaning to make someone swear an oath or to adjure a spirit by oath to depart. The term passed into Latin as "exorcizare" and then into Old French before entering English in the early modern period, where it became firmly associated with the ritual expulsion of demons. Related forms such as "exorcism" and "exorcist" entered English at around the same time.
Related word forms
How exorcised is actually used
Mostly used in religious or supernatural contexts in the passive or perfect sense, though the figurative sense — being rid of emotional burdens — is very common in journalism and everyday speech. The British spelling is "exorcised"; American usage increasingly favours "exorcized" alongside "exorcize", though both spellings appear in each region.
Easily confused with exorcised
"Exorcised" means driving out spirits or inner torments, while "exercised" means performing physical activity or putting something into use.