incinerate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to burn or reduce to ashes; cremate.
verb
-
to burn up completely; reduce to ashes
Other Word Forms
- incineration noun
- unincinerated adjective
Etymology
Origin of incinerate
1545–55; < Medieval Latin incinerātus (past participle of incinerāre ) < Latin in- in- 2 + ciner- (stem of cinis ) ashes + -ātus -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There’s “torch,” at the high end of high intensity, when flames rise into the forest crown and incinerate everything.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
It is promoting waste-to-energy sites that incinerate garbage and produce electricity, with 34 planned within two years.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
It describes the behavior of some speculators in volatile stocks or cryptocurrencies who incinerate more of their savings after failing to cash in on big paper gains.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
Some incinerate the remains with medical waste like tumors or kidney stones, while others opt for unmarked mass burials at cemeteries, and sometimes parents can find out a general area if they wish to visit.
From Slate • Oct. 3, 2024
Hers were the only pair of eyes that were attempting to incinerate him.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.