exorcise

verb

ex·​or·​cise ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsīz How to pronounce exorcise (audio) -sər- How to pronounce exorcise (audio)
variants or less commonly exorcize
exorcised also exorcized; exorcising also exorcizing

transitive verb

1
a
: to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration
b
: to get rid of (something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive)
2
: to free of an evil spirit
exorciser noun

Examples of exorcise in a Sentence

The movie is about a priest who tries to exorcise demons from a young girl. please exorcise that offensive word from your vocabulary
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Knicks then exorcised another demon — awful performances coming out of the halftime break. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025 Whatever sophomore slump hit Corbin Carroll last year appears to be exorcised. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 Rory McIlroy exorcised his demons at The Masters on Sunday, taking home the Green Jacket in a playoff after one of the most dramatic final rounds in major championship history. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025 Af Klint edited her own notebooks later in life, rewriting or destroying entire passages and exorcising biographical details. Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exorcise

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French exorciscer, from Late Latin exorcizare, from Greek exorkizein, from ex- + horkizein to bind by oath, adjure, from horkos oath

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of exorcise was in 1539

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exorcise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exorcise. Accessed 14 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

exorcise

verb
ex·​or·​cise ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsīz How to pronounce exorcise (audio)
-sər-
exorcised; exorcising
: to drive (as an evil spirit) off by calling upon some holy name or by spells

More from Merriam-Webster on exorcise

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