purge
Definitions
To remove unwanted people from an organization, often by force
清洗，清除（组织中不想要的人）
To rid something of impurities or unwanted matter
清除（杂质、不洁之物）；净化
An act of violently removing unwanted people, esp. from a group or party
清洗，清除（行动）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin pūrgāre (pūrus "clean" + agere "to drive") = "to drive clean," i.e. clean something by forcing out what doesn't belong. It started physical — purge the body of toxins — but the most common modern sense is political: a party or government "cleans" itself by removing, expelling, or eliminating unwanted members.
Root pur still carries 11 more wordsWhy It Means This
Purge carries a darker charge than its cousin purify. Both mean "make clean by removing," but purify suggests gentle treatment (purify water), while purge implies force and often violence. A political purge is a society described as if it were a sick body being "cleaned" of poison — except the "poison" is people. That metaphor is exactly why the word feels so menacing.
Common Collocations
- 1.political purge政治清洗
- 2.mass purge大规模清洗
- 3.carry out a purge实施清洗
- 4.purge of dissidents清除异见人士
- 5.purge the body of toxins把毒素排出体外
Example Sentences
- 1.
The new leader moved quickly to purge the party of his rivals.
- 2.
This detox tea is supposed to purge toxins from your body.
- 3.
Hundreds of officers lost their jobs in the latest purge.
- 4.
He tried to purge the painful memory from his mind.
Easily Confused
purge vs purify — both "clean by removing," but purify is gentle and constructive (purify water), purge is forceful and often destructive (purge a party). You purify what you want to keep using; you purge what you want to get rid of.