To annihilate something means to destroy it completely, leaving nothing behind. When a meteor annihilated the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, it didn't just hurt them or reduce their numbers: it wiped them out entirely. When a sports team annihilates its opponent with a score of 84 to 12, they didn't just win, they crushed them so thoroughly that the other team barely seemed to compete.

That idea of complete destruction is what sets annihilation apart from ordinary destruction. You might damage a sandcastle or knock down part of it, but if a wave annihilates it, suddenly there's nothing left but smooth beach.

In science, annihilation has a special meaning: when matter and antimatter meet, they annihilate each other in a burst of pure energy, with both particles disappearing entirely. In everyday conversation, though, people often use annihilate as dramatic exaggeration. A student might joke that a difficult test “totally annihilated me,” even though they obviously survived. The word captures that feeling of being so completely overwhelmed that it seems like nothing is left of your confidence or energy.