annihilate

verb [T]

/əˈnaɪ.ə.leɪt/

Definition

› to destroy something completely so that nothing is left: a city annihilated by an atomic bombDestroying and demolishingDamaging and spoiling › informal to defeat completely: He was annihilated in the finals of the competition.Winning and defeatingScoring, winning and losing in sport annihilation

/əˌnaɪ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/ noun [U] › During the Cold War the threat of nuclear annihilation was always on people's minds.informal The opposition party's candidate suffered annihilation (= complete defeat) at the polls.Destroying and demolishingDamaging and spoiling

(Definition of annihilate verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)