extinguish

verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 

extinguished; extinguishing; extinguishes

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to bring to an end : make an end of

hope for their safety was slowly extinguished

(2)

: to reduce to silence or ineffectiveness

b

: to cause to cease burning : quench

extinguished the candles

c

: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)

d

: to dim the brightness of : eclipse

2

a

: to cause to be void : nullify

extinguish a claim

b

: to get rid of usually by payment

extinguish a debt

extinguishable

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl 

adjective

extinguisher

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shər 

noun

extinguishment

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of extinguish

• choke
• quench
• blanket
• douse

Examples of extinguish in a Sentence

The fire department was called in to extinguish the blaze.

He extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.

They ruthlessly extinguished all resistance.

News of the conflict extinguished our hopes for a peaceful resolution.

Recent Examples on the Web

Firefighters used foam from specialized airport firefighting units to extinguish the fire, and crews were still dealing with a fuel leak on the plane hours later. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Russian airstrikes were recorded in 11 locations across Ukraine, while a large-scale fire has been extinguished at an infrastructure facility in Kyiv region as a result of a Russian strike. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026

More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the crash, arriving to find the aircraft on fire as crews worked to extinguish the flames and assess patients. — Anthony Izaguirre, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the crash, arriving to find the aircraft on fire as crews worked to quickly extinguish the flames and assess patients. — Staff and Wire Reports, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin exstinguere (from ex- + stinguere to extinguish) + English -ish (as in abolish); akin to Latin instigare to incite — more at stick

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Rhymes for extinguish

• distinguish

Kids Definition

extinguish

verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-gwish 

1

: to cause to stop burning

2

: to cause to die out

extinguishable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

extinguisher noun

Medical Definition

extinguish

transitive verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 

: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)

extinguish an avoidance response

Legal Definition

extinguish

transitive verb

ex·​tin·​guish

1

: to cause the nonexistence of : do away with

2

: to cause (as a claim or right) to be void : nullify

3

: to get rid of (a debt or other liability) by payment or other compensatory adjustment

extinguishable adjective

extinguishment noun