Meaning
exterminate, wipe out
- to kill or destroy completely, wiping out an entire population or group
- to eradicate pests or insects systematically
In a sentence
Una grave epidemia ha rischiato di sterminare l'intera fauna locale.
A severe epidemic risked wiping out the entire local wildlife.
L'esercito invasore cercò di sterminare ogni forma di resistenza.
The invading army tried to wipe out every form of resistance.
Non dobbiamo sterminare gli insetti utili per proteggere le coltivazioni.
We must not exterminate beneficial insects to protect crops.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sterminare | infinitive |
| stermino | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| stermini | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| stermina | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sterminiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| sterminate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sterminano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sterminavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sterminavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sterminava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sterminavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sterminavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sterminavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sterminai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| sterminasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| sterminò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| sterminammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| sterminaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| sterminarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| sterminerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| sterminerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| sterminerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| stermineremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| sterminerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| stermineranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| stermini | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| stermini | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| stermini | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sterminiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| sterminiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sterminino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sterminassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sterminassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sterminasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sterminassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sterminaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sterminassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sterminerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| stermineresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sterminerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| stermineremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| sterminereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sterminerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| stermina | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| sterminiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| sterminate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| sterminando | gerund |
| sterminato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Takes auxiliary avere.
- A strong, serious verb; for casual eradication of insects, 'disinfestare' or 'eliminare' is often used.