annihilation

noun

an·​ni·​hi·​la·​tion ə-ˌnī-ə-ˈlā-shən 

plural annihilations

1

: the state or fact of being completely destroyed or obliterated : the act of annihilating something or the state of being annihilated

The late 1940s and '50s were so pervaded by a general fear of nuclear annihilation that the era was known as the Age of Anxiety.

—Charles Krauthammer

For a literary culture that fears it is on the brink of total annihilation, we are awfully cavalier about the Great Male Novelists of the last century.

—Katie Roiphe

… few experts believe that either regime would risk annihilation by actually launching a nuke in anger.

—Michael Elliott

The Cretaceous Extinction, whatever its cause, was one of the two most awesome annihilations of life in the history of the world.

—John McPhee

2

physics : the combination of a particle and its antiparticle (such as an electron and a positron) that results in the subsequent total conversion of the particles into energy

Both the creation and annihilation of antimatter have been observed in nuclear accelerators (atom-smashers).

—Harding E. Smith

The annihilation reactions are the most efficient sources of energy known, for in them the entire mass of both particles is converted into pure energy.

—George Greenstein

Synonyms of annihilation

• destruction
• devastation
• extinction
• havoc
• demolition
• loss
• extermination

Examples of annihilation in a Sentence

idealists who seek the annihilation of all forms of prejudice

Recent Examples on the Web

After the annihilation of the planet Altea and fearing that Zarkon would get his hands on Voltron, King Alfor (Keith Ferguson/Sean Teale) separated the Lions and hid them away from the Galra Empire. —Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 10 June 2026

For this poet, the first place of childhood and language is his village in the South, a place that has continued to exist in defiance of some of the most brutal forces of occupation, aggression, and now unabashed annihilation. —Literary Hub, 9 June 2026

It is all set in motion against a world on the brink of a major crisis, the worst threat to nuclear annihilation since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 June 2026

Despite discovering the annihilation signal more than 50 years ago, scientists still don’t know where these positrons are coming from. —Christopher Karwin, The Conversation, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing annihilation

• self-annihilation

Rhymes for annihilation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration