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annihilative

 - 2 dictionary results

an⋅ni⋅hi⋅late

  [uh-nahy-uh-leyt]
Use annihilative in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -lat⋅ed, -lat⋅ing.
1. to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence; destroy utterly: The heavy bombing almost annihilated the city.
2. to destroy the collective existence or main body of; wipe out: to annihilate an army.
3. to annul; make void: to annihilate a law.
4. to cancel the effect of; nullify.
5. to defeat completely; vanquish: Our basketball team annihilated the visiting team.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME adnichilat(e) destroyed < LL annihilātus brought to nothing, annihilated (ptp. of annihilāre) (L an- an- 2 + nihil nothing + -ātus -ate 1 )

Related forms:
an⋅ni⋅hi⋅la⋅tive  [uh-nahy-uh-ley-tiv, ‑uh-luh‑] , an⋅ni⋅hi⋅la⋅to⋅ry  [uh-nahy-uh-luh-tawr-ee, ‑tohr-ee] , adjective

Synonyms:
1. ravage, devastate, desolate. 1, 2. smash, obliterate, demolish.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To annihilative
an·ni·hi·la·tive   (ə-nī'ə-lā'tĭv, -ə-lə-)   
adj.  Capable of causing utter destruction or serving to destroy utterly: "The possession of annihilative power has not slowed down the drive toward even more fiendish modes of inflicting wholesale death" (Saturday Review).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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