obliterate
UK[əˈblɪtəreɪt]US[əˈblɪtəreɪt]
v
to destroy something completely so that nothing remains
v
to remove a thought, feeling, or memory from someone's mind
Morpheme Breakdown
ob
liter
ate
ob
against
liter
letter
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'obliterate' originates from the latin 'obliteratus', the past participle of 'obliterare', meaning 'to cause to be forgotten' or 'to blot out'. this verb was formed from the combination of 'ob-' (here intensifying the sense to 'completely') and 'littera' ('letter'). the literal ancient sense was to erase written letters from a document, effectively destroying the record. over time, this specific meaning broadened metaphorically to signify the complete destruction or effacement of anything, from physical objects to memories.
Analysis
Structure: ob (against) + liter (letter) + ate (verb suffix)
ob- (latin prefix meaning 'against', 'towards', or 'completely'); liter (from latin 'littera', meaning 'letter'); -ate (latin-derived verb-forming suffix).
Examples
the powerful bomb threatened to obliterate the entire village.
he tried to obliterate all memories of the painful event.
the heavy snowfall began to obliterate the footprints on the trail.