What does vaporize mean?
Vaporize means to turn a substance into vapor, especially through heating, and can also describe something becoming or passing off as vapor. Its basic use is technical or descriptive: heat may vaporize water, fuel, or a chemical. In figurative contexts, especially military language, vaporize is more dramatic and implies total destruction or disappearance rather than merely damaging something. The word can function transitively, as in “the heat vaporizes the liquid,” or intransitively, as when a substance vaporizes under pressure. It is recognized in both American and British English, although Americans generally write vaporize while Britons more often write vapourise. Compared with evaporate, vaporize places somewhat greater emphasis on the formation of vapor and can suggest rapid or complete change. Its vivid figurative sense makes it effective in military reporting and forceful prose, though it is too strong for ordinary descriptions of minor or temporary destruction.
verbTo convert a substance into vapor, especially by heating; to cause something to pass off as vapor. In figurative or military usage, it can mean to destroy utterly or make something vanish completely.
- Convert a liquid or substance into vapor, especially by heating.
- Become or pass off as vapor.
- Destroy utterly or make something vanish completely, especially in figurative or military usage.
"The intense heat vaporizes the liquid almost instantly, leaving a thin film on the surface."
"The hot engine vaporizes the fuel before it enters the cylinder."
"The bombardment was designed to vaporize the enemy’s command posts."
Vaporize moves from a quiet change of state—liquid becoming vapor—to one of the most violent images in military language: making an opponent disappear completely.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of vaporize
Vaporize was formed in English in the early 17th century from vapor and the suffix -ize. Vapor itself came through Old French from Latin vapor, meaning “steam” or “mist,” while -ize reflects a suffix ultimately associated with Greek verbs meaning “to make” or “to cause to become.” Evaporate is a related cognate built on the same Latin root, and vaporous likewise reflects that shared origin.
Related word forms
How vaporize is actually used
The word is formal in literal scientific and industrial contexts and more dramatic or military in its figurative sense of complete destruction. American spelling is vaporize; British spelling is vapourise.
Easily confused with vaporize
Vaporise is the standard British spelling of the verb, while vaporize is the standard American spelling.