annihilation
Translation
annihilation, destruction, obliteration
Examples
The war resulted in the annihilation of the city.
The war resulted in the annihilation of the city.
They feared mutual annihilation from nuclear weapons.
They feared mutual annihilation from nuclear weapons.
Grammar Patterns
((of sth.)) the complete destruction of something The annihilation of the city was swift.
Similar Words
Synonyms: destruction, obliteration, extermination; Antonyms: creation, preservation
Etymology
From Latin 'ad' (to) + 'nihil' (nothing). The act of bringing something to nothing.
Memory Tips
Think of 'nihil' as 'nil' or zero. To annihilate is to reduce something to nothing, to completely destroy it.