extinguish
Definitions
To put out a fire or light.
熄灭，扑灭
To bring something (a feeling, hope, or right) to an end.
消灭，使消失，压制
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedex- (out) + stinguere (to prick, quench) = 'prick out.' The same root that goads cattle also carries the sense of quenching — and the way you quench a flame is to put it out. From the literal fire sense the word stretched to anything that can be snuffed out: hope, a rebellion, a legal right.
Root stinct still carries 42 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.extinguish a fire扑灭火灾
- 2.extinguish the flames熄灭火焰
- 3.extinguish a cigarette掐灭香烟
- 4.extinguish hope熄灭希望
- 5.fully extinguish彻底扑灭
Example Sentences
- 1.
Firefighters worked through the night to extinguish the blaze.
- 2.
Please extinguish all cigarettes before entering the building.
- 3.
Nothing could extinguish her hope of seeing her family again.
Easily Confused
extinguish vs distinguish — One letter apart but unrelated in meaning. extinguish = put out (ex- 'out': extinguish a fire). distinguish = tell apart (dis- 'apart': distinguish twins). Both share the stinguere root, but the prefix flips the meaning entirely. Fire → extinguish; difference → distinguish.