eradicate
eradicate — verb
1. to remove or destroy something such as a disease, a social problem, or an unwant
to remove or destroy something such as a disease, a social problem, or an unwanted group of organisms so that it no longer exists anywhere
The government launched a nationwide campaign to eradicate polio from the region.
collocation: eradicate + disease (polio)
Maeve believes that education is the best way to eradicate poverty in rural areas.
The health organisation successfully eradicated smallpox through a global vaccination programme.
The city council took over a decade to eradicate homelessness from the downtown area.
Kian argued that tougher penalties alone cannot eradicate corruption from the banking sector.
- eliminate
weaker than 'eradicate'; means to remove or get rid of, but not necessarily leaving nothing behind
- wipe out
informal equivalent; often used for groups or populations rather than abstract concepts
- stamp out
more active and forceful; suggests using deliberate effort to end something
- abolish
used specifically for laws, systems, or institutions, not diseases or organisms
文法句型
eradicate + noun phrase (disease, problem, pest)
be eradicated from + place
eradicate + noun phrase + through + method
用法筆記
The object of this sense is typically something widespread and considered harmful — diseases, social problems, invasive species, or institutional practices. 'Eradicate' is stronger than 'eliminate' because it implies total and permanent removal, not just reduction.
常見錯誤
2. to kill every member of a group of people, animals, or other organisms, leaving
to kill every member of a group of people, animals, or other organisms, leaving none behind
Without intervention, the disease could eradicate ninety percent of the wild rabbit population.
pattern: could eradicate + percentage + population
Colonial forces tried to eradicate the indigenous population through systematic violence.
Pesticides were sprayed from helicopters to eradicate the breeding mosquito population.
Chiara's research team warned that the fungus could eradicate the entire amphibian population.
- annihilate
equally strong; emphasises total destruction down to nothing
- exterminate
more clinical; often used for pests or in historical contexts of genocide
- decimate
weaker; technically means to kill one in ten, but often used loosely to mean 'destroy a large portion of'
文法句型
eradicate + noun phrase (population, species, group)
be eradicated by + agent
用法筆記
This sense carries a stronger destructive force than sense 1. It typically takes population nouns as objects and implies violence or lethality rather than systematic removal. 'Annihilate' and 'exterminate' are near synonyms in this sense.
常見錯誤
3. to pull a plant completely out of the ground, including all of its roots, so tha
to pull a plant completely out of the ground, including all of its roots, so that it cannot grow back
Gardeners must eradicate bindweed completely, or it will regrow from any root fragment left behind.
literal sense: pulling plant out by the roots
Eli showed his daughter how to eradicate dandelions by loosening the soil around the taproot.
The farmer spent the morning eradicating thistles from the edge of the wheat field.
Tara put on her gardening gloves and began to eradicate the nettles behind the shed.
文法句型
eradicate + noun phrase (plant, weed, tree)
用法筆記
This is the original, literal meaning of the word, from Latin 'eradicare' (to root out). In modern contexts it is used mainly in gardening, agriculture, and ecology writing. Distinguish from sense 1, which applies the same 'uprooting' idea metaphorically to abstract things.