debellate · verb — to conquer (someone) in war; to subdue. It carries an Arena rating of 1405, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, debellate ranks #644 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #2,814 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #3,034 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #4,167 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
Why “debellate” is a great word
To conquer or subdue an enemy so utterly that all capacity for war is extinguished, first attested in 1611; borrowed from Latin dēbellātus, perfect passive participle of dēbellō ("to subdue, to conquer"), from dē- ("completely") + bellō ("to wage war"). Unlike "subdue," which implies quelling resistance, or "vanquish," which suggests a decisive battle, to debellate is to enact the final, annihilating conclusion. It is the ceremonial breaking of spears, the deliberate salting of fields, and the chilling, permanent stillness that settles over a razed capital—the grim and total peace that follows when there is nothing left to fight for.
❧ Written by Lexicurio’s AI
Etymology
First attested in 1611; borrowed from Latin dēbellātus, perfect passive participle of dēbellō (“to subdue”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of debel.
verb
- To conquer (someone) in war; to subdue.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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