extinguish

verb
UK: /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
US: /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/

  1. To put out a fire or light.

    1. Please extinguish your cigarette before entering.
    2. The firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the flames that threatened the building.

  2. To bring an end to something; to destroy or eliminate something abstract.

    1. We need to extinguish all hope that they will help.
    2. The dictator tried to extinguish any opposition by silencing his critics and disbanding protest groups.

Synonyms

quench crush smother end douse eliminate suppress
extinguish intransitive-verb

  1. To lose brightness or intensity; fade out.

    1. The lights extinguish when you push button.
    2. As the storm passed, the distant lighthouse beam seemed to extinguish, and darkness surrounded the ship.
extinguish transitive-verb

  1. To actively put out a fire or light.

    1. I need to extinguish the candle before bed.
    2. She used a wet towel to extinguish the small fire in the kitchen.

  2. To put an end to or destroy something completely.

    1. They tried to extinguish my enthusiasm for the project.
    2. The government sought to extinguish all dissent by censoring media and arresting activists.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "extinguish" in English means: To put out a fire or light., To bring an end to something; to destroy or eliminate something abstract..

The phonetic transcription of "extinguish" is /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ in British English and /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "extinguish": quench, crush, smother, end, douse, eliminate, suppress.

Example usage of "extinguish": "Please extinguish your cigarette before entering.". More examples on the page.