Verbs of Violence

Sim Nik (Australia)
13 words 21 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lacerate
    cut or tear irregularly
    In the locker room, Coach Joe Brown Sr. lacerated his players for griping about playing time and substituting without permission.
  2. ravage
    cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
    She understood the hurricane had ravaged the city.
  3. decimate
    kill in large numbers
    Instead, the passing storm decimated a building behind the travel plaza. New York Times (Jan 31, 2013)
  4. subvert
    overthrow or destroy completely
    They can quietly subvert the law, as some critics, like Mr. Sander, believe is happening in California.
  5. extort
    obtain by coercion or intimidation
    An instrument of torture for the leg, formerly used to extort confessions, particularly in Scotland. Webster, Noah
  6. sabotage
    a deliberate act of destruction or disruption
    Mr Saleh is accused by various parties of blocking or even sabotaging progress.
  7. jeopardize
    pose a threat to; present a danger to
    I'm not going to come here and jeopardize my future.
  8. decapitate
    cut the head off of
    A decapitated body lies nearby, its head is several metres away.
  9. bludgeon
    a club used as a weapon
    Police Force disabled by angry mob armed with bludgeons and revolvers. Various
  10. garrote
    an instrument of execution for execution by strangulation
    He was taken prisoner and speedily executed by the garrote. Johnson, Willis Fletcher
  11. glutted
    exceeding demand
    Strategic defaults on mortgages are throwing more properties on an already glutted market. Washington Post (Aug 7, 2010)
  12. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    But once delivered, Morgan writhed on the floor like a seasoned pro.
  13. vitiate
    make imperfect
    The new blood, however, instead of redeeming the tainted stock, itself became vitiated. Guyer, Michael F.
Created on Sat Feb 09 00:17:46 EST 2013 (updated Sat Feb 09 02:26:30 EST 2013)

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