raze — to completely destroy a building, town, or other structure
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to completely destroy a building, town, or other structure
Pronunciation (IPA): /reɪz/
Example Sentences
- The tornado razed half the town in just five minutes.
- My mom threatened to raze my messy room if I didn't clean it.
- The city plans to raze the old stadium and build a park.
raze
VERB[/reɪz/]
to completely destroy a building, town, or other structure
Wrecking crews raze the old factory to clear space for a new park.
RAZ(razor) + E(earth) — using a massive metal RAZor, the giant tried to raze all the buildings off the Earth.
The unstoppable, fierce blaze swept through the forest to completely raze the old wooden cabin.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'raze' derives from 14th-century French 'raser', which originally meant 'to scrape' or 'to shave'. The meaning evolved to describe the complete destruction of buildings, conceptually similar to how a razor blade scrapes away facial hair.
Breakdown
The root 'raser' (to scrape/shave) evolved into the English verb 'raze' (to completely destroy or level). The semantic shift reflects the metaphorical extension from physical scraping to thorough demolition.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The tornado razed half the town in just five minutes.”
“My mom threatened to raze my messy room if I didn't clean it.”
“The city plans to raze the old stadium and build a park.”
“My cooking skills could raze Gordon Ramsay's confidence.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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