Fumigate

//ˈfjuːmɪɡeɪt// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To disinfect, purify, or rid of vermin with the fumes of certain chemicals. transitive

    "They fumigated the Church with burnt wool and feathers instead of incense, put foul water into the holy-water basins, and celebrated a parody on the Church-service, the mock Abbot officiating at the altar; […]"

  2. 2
    treat with fumes, expose to fumes, especially with the aim of disinfecting or eradicating pests wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
aerateaerifyantisepticizearomatizeatomizeautoclave

Example

More examples

"We had to fumigate our house to get rid of termites."

Etymology

First attested in 1530; borrowed from Latin fūmigātus, perfect passive participle of fūmigō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fūmus (“smoke”).

More for "fumigate"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.