verb

extinguish

ihk-STIHNG-gwihsh

Extinguish (verb) means to put out a fire or light. Example: “Firefighters worked all night to extinguish the blaze.”

verb

To put out a fire or light.

"Firefighters worked all night to extinguish the blaze."

To put a complete end to something, such as hope or a feeling.

"The setback nearly extinguished her hopes of winning."

How to use extinguish

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo put out something burning, or to completely end a feeling, hope, or idea.

Common pairings

extinguish a fire extinguish hope extinguish a flame

extinguished past tense, extinguishes singular

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Can you complete this real example?

Firefighters worked all night to _____ the blaze.

From Latin extinguere, "to put out, quench" — from ex- ("out") plus stinguere ("to quench").

Origin: Latin

eliminate eradicate quench decimate annihilate blow out stub out wipe out snuff out crush out press out carry off

kill express remove manage destroy rid delete generate

bluish squish anguish vanquish languish relinquish distinguish

What does “extinguish” mean?

The word “extinguish” means to put out a fire or light. In plain terms, to put out something burning, or to completely end a feeling, hope, or idea.

How do you pronounce “extinguish”?

“Extinguish” is pronounced ihk-STIHNG-gwihsh (/ɪkˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/ in IPA).

How do you use “extinguish” in a sentence?

Here is “extinguish” used in a sentence: “Firefighters worked all night to extinguish the blaze.”

What part of speech is “extinguish”?

“Extinguish” is a verb.

Where does the word “extinguish” come from?

The word “extinguish” comes from Latin. From Latin extinguere, "to put out, quench" — from ex- ("out") plus stinguere ("to quench").

How many meanings does “extinguish” have?

“Extinguish” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to put out a fire or light.

kill express remove manage destroy rid delete generate