Meaning & use
euthanize
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Meanings
verbtransitiveeuphemistic
To end the life of an animal in a painless way, usually because it is very ill, badly injured or suffering.
Grammar: Takes an object: the vet euthanized the dog.
Patterns
- euthanize something
- have something euthanized
The vet had to euthanize the horse after the accident.
They decided to euthanize their elderly cat to spare her pain.
Shelters sometimes euthanize animals that cannot be treated.
verbtransitiveformal
To end the life of a person painlessly at their own request or on medical grounds, where the law allows.
Grammar: Takes an object; rarely used because assisted dying is the more usual term.
Patterns
- euthanize someone
The debate asks whether doctors should ever euthanize a patient.
Laws differ on whether a doctor may euthanize someone who asks to die.
The journal discussed cases where patients were euthanized.
Word forms
| third person singular | euthanizes |
|---|---|
| past tense | euthanized |
| past participle | euthanized |
| -ing form | euthanizing |
Common combinations
- euthanize a pet
- It is never easy to euthanize a pet.
- humanely euthanize
- Staff must humanely euthanize injured wildlife.
- be euthanized
- The dog was euthanized after the vet's examination.
- choose to euthanize
- They chose to euthanize the horse rather than let it suffer.
- euthanize an animal
- Only a licensed vet may euthanize an animal here.
Synonyms and how they differ
- put down
- Put down is the everyday phrase for animals and sounds softer than euthanize.
- put to sleep
- Put to sleep is a gentle euphemism often used with children and pet owners, while euthanize is clinical.
- kill
- Kill is general and does not suggest a painless, caring act the way euthanize does.
Opposites
Word family
- euthanasia noun
- the practice of ending a life painlessly to relieve suffering
- euthanization noun
- the act of euthanizing
- euthanasia noun
- also called mercy killing in everyday speech
Commonly confused: euthanize or youth in Asia?
euthanize vs youth in Asia
This is only a sound trick: euthanize starts with the sound yoo, but it comes from Greek words meaning good death and is unrelated to youth.
Practice
The vet said the injured horse could not recover, so she had to ___ it.
Choose one answer.
Euthanize means to end an animal's life painlessly to stop suffering. Rescue would be the opposite, and the other options make no sense in the situation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “euthanize”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.