Skip to content

anéantir

to annihilate, destroy utterly

verb ah-neh-ahn-TEER Less Common

Also means

to overwhelm, crush (figuratively)

Usage Note

Anéantir is a strong verb meaning total destruction or devastation — stronger than détruire. The reflexive s'anéantir can mean 'to be shattered' emotionally. Its noun anéantissement means 'annihilation' or 'utter exhaustion'.

Examples

"La nouvelle l'a complètement anéanti."

Natural Translation

The news completely crushed him.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic