灭 (miè) - to extinguish & to put out

灭Tone 4

miè ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 火

妙慕

灭 · miè

to extinguish;

to put out;

to destroy;

to wipe out;

to die out;

to go out (of fire/light).

to extinguishto put outto destroy

Usage highlights

extinguish firebecome extinctannihilateput outdestroy tracesdrown

Synonyms

  • 熄— to extinguish, to put out (fire/light)
  • 绝— to cut off, to exterminate
  • 毁— to destroy, to ruin

Antonyms

  • 生— to be born, to live
  • 燃— to burn, to ignite
  • 兴— to prosper, to rise

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Firefighters extinguished the fire (灭火).
  • Many species face extinction (灭绝).
  • The lights went out suddenly (灯灭了).
  • They aimed to destroy the enemy (消灭敌人).

Collocations

  • extinguish fire(灭火)
  • become extinct(灭绝)
  • annihilate(消灭)
  • put out(熄灭)
  • destroy traces(灭迹)
  • drown(灭顶)

Idioms

  • To drown(灭顶之灾)
  • To destroy all traces(灭门绝户)
  • To annihilate the entire clan(灭族之祸)
  • To extinguish a state(灭国)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted covering a fire (火) with something to extinguish it.
  • Used in contexts of destruction, eradication, and natural extinction.
  • In Buddhist contexts, refers to Nirvana (涅槃) as the extinction of desire and suffering.

FAQ