Synonyms for exterminate
Most common
All synonyms
Verb
1. Eradicate — to kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population, often of pests or undesirables), usually…
eradicate, annihilate, extirpate, destroy, uproot, kill, eliminate, kill off, obliterate, root out, wipe out, slay, remove, do for, abolish, extinguish, liquidate, rub out, abate, decimate, raze, ravage
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population, often of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.
We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.
Related words
- Word family
- exterminatable extermination exterminator exterminatrix
Forms
- Past participle
- exterminated
e.g. exterminated → eradicated, annihilated, extirpated, destroyed…
Example sentences
- destroy Do you really think it will destroy my reputation?
- eradicate We must eradicate the drug traffic, root and branch.
- annihilate We shall annihilate anyone who stands in our way!
- extirpate This thing is necessary to extirpate the evil of the world.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| exterminate | steady | |
| destroy | steady | |
| eradicate | steady | |
| annihilate | rising | |
| extirpate | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- kill1, slay1, raze1
- 5 letters
- abate2
- 6 letters
- remove2, uproot2, ravage2
- 7 letters
- destroy2, abolish3
- 8 letters
- decimate3
- 9 letters
- eliminate4, eradicate4, liquidate3, extirpate3
- 10 letters
- extinguish3, annihilate4, obliterate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (abate2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- exterminer
- Italiano
- sterminare
- Español
- exterminar