annihilate

The definition of annihilate means to completely destroy.

(verb)

To bomb a building, murdering all of the inhabitants, is an example of annihilate.

See annihilate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

to destroy completely; put out of existence; demolish: an atomic bomb can annihilate a city
to consider or cause to be of no importance or without effect; nullify: to annihilate another's ambition
to kill
to conquer decisively; crush

Origin: < LL(Ec) annihilatus, pp. of annihilare, to bring to nothing < L ad, to + nihil, nothing

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See annihilate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb an·ni·hi·lat·ed, an·ni·hi·lat·ing, an·ni·hi·lates

verb, transitive

a. To destroy completely: The naval force was annihilated during the attack.
b. To reduce to nonexistence.
c. To defeat decisively; vanquish.
To nullify or render void; abolish.

verb, intransitive
Physics

To participate in annihilation, as an electron and a positron do.

Origin:

Origin: Late Latin annihilāre, annihilāt-

Origin: : Latin ad-, ad-

Origin: + Latin nihil, nothing; see ne in Indo-European roots

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