Extinguish
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ɪkˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/ · Part of speech verb
Quick meaning: Extinguish is a verb meaning To stop (fire, etc.) from burning; also, to stop (light, etc.) from shining; to put out, to quench.
Meaning
To stop (fire, etc.) from burning; also, to stop (light, etc.) from shining; to put out, to quench.
More Meanings
- To eclipse or obscure (someone or something).
- To kill (someone).
- To put an end to (something) completely; to annihilate, to destroy.
- To suppress (something, as feelings, a person's spirit, a state of affairs, etc.); to quench.
- To abolish or make void (a law, a legal right, etc.); also, to cancel (a creditor's claim, a licence, etc.).
- (intransitive, reflexive) To die out.
Example Sentences
She extinguished all my hopes.
A beauty that extinguishes all others by comparison
They intended to extinguish the enemy by force of numbers
The rays of the sun were extinguished by the thunder clouds.
Word Forms
- extinguishes
- extinguishing
- extinguished
Synonyms for extinguish
Depending on context, synonyms include douse, extinct, smother, destroy, annihilate, aerosolize.
Antonyms for extinguish
Common opposites include light, ignite.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include wipe out, eradicate, obliterate, annihilate, eliminate, decimate.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.