immolate

verb

im·mo·late ˈi-mə-ˌlāt

immolated; immolating

Synonyms of immolate next

transitive verb

: to kill or destroy especially by fire

: to offer in sacrifice

especially : to kill as a sacrificial victim

immolator

ˈi-mə-ˌlā-tər

noun

Example Sentences

a man who immolated himself as an act of protest a ceremony in which they immolated their cherished possessions so that the gods would send rain

Recent Examples on the Web The album is front-loaded with familiar ruminations on immolating love, bubbling infatuations and shifting identities. —

Bobby Olivier, SPIN, 24 Mar. 2023 Particularly when Black families could not afford to leave the community after a lynching, or refused to, not sharing the details with one’s children was a way to protect them from more violence, as well as from the self-immolating rage and despair that might destroy them. —

Eric Herschthal, The New Republic, 23 Mar. 2023 Whose career never immolated in a dumpster fire of corruption or ego like that of too many of her Eastside colleagues. —

Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2023 Universities won’t need to immolate themselves. —

Allen C. Guelzo And Scott L. Wyatt, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 While East Jerusalem’s lack of good schools has long angered local Palestinians, residents like Mr. Salahiya, who threatened to immolate himself, say Israel is trying to improve education at their families’ expense. —

Dov Lieber, WSJ, 29 July 2022 Exotic financial instruments like the ones that helped ignite the housing crash tend to immolate themselves, while vaccines have proved good medicine for the coronavirus. —

Alain Sherter, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2021 What’s left is to watch the fireworks as Chastain and Isaac immolate one another, and those are indeed spectacular. —

Daniel D'addario, Variety, 4 Sep. 2021 My search for cans less likely to immolate me and poison the environment bore that out. —

Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 21 Aug. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immolate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin immolatus, past participle of immolare to sprinkle with meal before sacrificing, sacrifice, from in- + mola sacrificial barley cake, literally, millstone; akin to Latin molere to grind — more at meal

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of immolate was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century