消灭
xiāomiè
to wipe out, to exterminate
Part of speech · verb
Pattern visualization
no decomposition available
Examples
- 军队消灭了入侵的敌人。The army wiped out the invading enemy.
- 我们要彻底消灭害虫。We must thoroughly exterminate the pests.
Collocations
消灭敌人消灭害虫彻底消灭消灭贫困
Mnemonic
消 xiāo "to extinguish" + 灭 miè "to destroy": 灭 shows a line over fire 火 (snuffing it out), i.e. to wipe out, to exterminate completely. Contrast 消除 (to dispel the abstract): 消灭 thoroughly destroys enemies, pests, poverty (stronger). Opposite of 产生 (to arise).
Related
消除歼灭灭绝产生
Quick check
What is the difference between 消灭 and 消除?