annihilation

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The act of destroying something completely so that nothing remains.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable; can be used with 'the' or 'total'.

   Patterns

   • the annihilation of something
   • total annihilation
   • threaten something with annihilation

   The army faced total annihilation after the surprise attack.

   The novel describes the annihilation of an entire civilization.

   Nuclear war could lead to the annihilation of humanity.

2. 2noununcountabletechnicalphysics

   In physics, the process in which a particle and its antiparticle collide and turn into energy.

   Grammar: Technical use; often followed by 'of' and the particles involved.

   Patterns

   • annihilation of a particle and its antiparticle
   • pair annihilation
   • annihilation reaction

   The experiment observed the annihilation of electrons and positrons.

   In pair annihilation, mass is converted into energy.

   The detector picked up gamma rays from the annihilation process.

Common combinations

total annihilation

The team faced total annihilation in the final match.

the annihilation of something

The annihilation of the forest alarmed environmentalists.

mass annihilation

The regime was responsible for mass annihilation of its opponents.

annihilation of a particle and its antiparticle

The annihilation of a particle and its antiparticle produces energy.

Synonyms and how they differ

destruction

More general; can mean damaging something severely without implying nothing remains.

extermination

Used mainly for killing all members of a group of people or animals.

obliteration

Emphasizes wiping out all traces, often used for physical objects or memories.

Opposites

Word family

annihilate verb

To destroy completely.

annihilator noun

A person or thing that annihilates.

Commonly confused: annihilation or annulation?

Practice

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