incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsi-nə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

transitive verb

: to cause to burn to ashes

incineration

in-ˌsi-nə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Examples of incinerate in a Sentence

The waste is incinerated in a large furnace.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Walker’s shop was reduced to rubble, the merchandise incinerated by the inferno. —Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025

Of course, being Final Destination, the operation goes horribly wrong: The laser becomes super-charged and begins incinerating her eyeball. —Keith Langston, People.com, 18 May 2025

The coup de grace will come some five billion years from now, when our expanding red giant sun engulfs and incinerates poor little Earth. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 May 2025

The Sistine Chapel Signal: Smoke and Bells Ballots are incinerated after each voting session in a special stove in the Sistine Chapel. —Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin incineratus, past participle of incinerare, from Latin in- + ciner-, cinis ashes; akin to Greek konis dust, ashes

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incinerate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

: to burn to ashes

incineration

-ˌsin-ə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

incinerate

transitive verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

: to cause to burn to ashes