vaporize

verb

va·​por·​ize ˈvā-pə-ˌrīz 

vaporized; vaporizing

transitive verb

1

: to convert (as by the application of heat or by spraying) into vapor

2

: to cause to become dissipated

3

: to destroy by or as if by converting into vapor

a tank vaporized by a shell

intransitive verb

1

: to become vaporized

2

: vapor sense 2

vaporizable

ˈvā-pə-ˌrī-zə-bəl 

adjective

vaporization

ˌvā-pər-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Synonyms of vaporize

• destroy
• demolish
• ruin
• shatter
• devastate
• wreck
• smash

Examples of vaporize in a Sentence

Heat is used to vaporize the liquid.

Pressure causes the chemical to vaporize.

Recent Examples on the Web

For smaller threats around 100 meters wide, this subterranean 3-megaton explosion generates enough power to vaporize the asteroid into harmless space dust completely. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026

The roughly six-mile-wide (10-kilometer-wide) asteroid struck Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, excavating the Chicxulub crater and vaporizing enormous quantities of rock. — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Large-scale solar farms cause habitat loss, fragment ecosystems, and confuse wildlife with reflective panels, while concentrated solar can vaporize birds. — Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

When the crash occurs, the object vaporizes and shock waves are sent reverberating through the Earth’s crust. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 24 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

vapor entry 1 + -ize

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for vaporize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

vaporize

verb

va·​por·​ize ˈvā-pə-ˌrīz 

vaporized; vaporizing

: to turn from a liquid or solid into vapor

vaporization

ˌvā-pə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

vaporize

verb

va·​por·​ize

variants also British vaporise

ˈvā-pə-ˌrīz 

vaporized also British vaporised; vaporizing also British vaporising

transitive verb

: to convert from a liquid or solid into a vapor

vaporized plaque in an artery with laser treatment

intransitive verb

: to become vaporized

vaporizable adjective

also British vaporisable

-ˌrī-zə-bəl