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

• 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

When a comet gets close to the sun, its nucleus heats up, and the ice vaporizes to form its glowing coma (head) and tail. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025

The impact vaporized rocks, releasing large quantities of sulfur and dust into the air. —Tim Vernimmen, JSTOR Daily, 19 June 2025

The fireball radius indicated on the maps (inner yellow circle), represents everything that would be vaporized by intense heat rising to millions of degrees F. —Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025

The ship carried 47 men and 11,200 tons of kerosene (then known as vaporizing oil). —Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

vapor entry 1 + -ize

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for vaporize

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

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