extinguish

verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 

extinguished; extinguishing; extinguishes

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to bring to an end : make an end of

hope for their safety was slowly extinguished

(2)

: to reduce to silence or ineffectiveness

b

: to cause to cease burning : quench

c

: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)

d

: to dim the brightness of : eclipse

2

a

: to cause to be void : nullify

extinguish a claim

b

: to get rid of usually by payment

extinguish a debt

extinguishable

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl 

adjective

extinguisher

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shər 

noun

extinguishment

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• blanket
• douse
• dowse
• put out
• quench
• snuff (out)

Examples of extinguish in a Sentence

The fire department was called in to extinguish the blaze.

He extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.

They ruthlessly extinguished all resistance.

News of the conflict extinguished our hopes for a peaceful resolution.

Recent Examples on the Web

Firefighters forced the box open and extinguished the fire, a spokesperson for the department said. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 24 Oct. 2024

The unburned tankers tried to extinguish the fire consuming their comrade—but then the tank exploded. —David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

But the ending of The Platform 2 extinguishes that hope in a rather withering way. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said the fires combined burned less than 1 acre of wildland and were quickly extinguished. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin exstinguere (from ex- + stinguere to extinguish) + English -ish (as in abolish); akin to Latin instigare to incite — more at stick

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Kids Definition

extinguish

verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-gwish 

1

: to cause to stop burning

2

: to cause to die out

extinguishable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

extinguisher noun

Medical Definition

extinguish

transitive verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 

: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)

extinguish an avoidance response

Legal Definition

extinguish

transitive verb

ex·​tin·​guish

1

: to cause the nonexistence of : do away with

2

: to cause (as a claim or right) to be void : nullify

3

: to get rid of (a debt or other liability) by payment or other compensatory adjustment

extinguishable adjective

extinguishment noun