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Massacre vs Exterminate - What's the difference?

massacre | exterminate |

As verbs the difference between massacre and exterminate

is that massacre is while exterminate is to kill all of a population, usually deliberate and especially applied to pests.

massacre

English

Alternative forms

* massacer (archaic)

Noun

(en noun)
  • The intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings, under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the norms of civilized people.
    • the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day
    St. Valentine's Day''' '''massacre
    Amritsar''' '''massacre
  • (obsolete) Murder.
  • * 1593 , , The Tragedy of Richard the Third
    • The tyrannous and bloody act is done,—
    The most arch deed of piteous massacre
    That ever yet this land was guilty of.
  • (figuratively) An overwhelming defeat.

    • Synonyms

    * butchery, carnage, slaughter. *: Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance. *:* 1592 , , Titus Andronicus, I,v *:*: I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family *: Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts. *:* 1593 , , Richard III, I,ii *:*: If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries *: Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain. *:* 1674 , , Paradise Lost *:*: Such a scent I draw Of carnage , prey innumerable!

    Related terms

    * mass murder * massacrer * massacree

    Verb

    (massacr)
  • To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the norms of civilized people; to butcher; to slaughter.
  • * 1849 , , The History Of England From the Accession of James II
    • If James should be pleased to massacre' them all, as Maximilian had ' massacred the Theban legion
  • (figuratively)

    • exterminate

    English

    Verb

    (exterminat)
  • To kill all of a population, usually deliberate and especially applied to pests.
    • We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.
  • (figuratively) To bring a definite end to, finish completely. A rather strong word that implies that what has been ended won't resurface.
    • Even a mass birching at the public school failed to exterminate truancy.

    Synonyms

    * (to kill all) annihilate, eradicate, extermine, uproot * (to bring an end to) stamp out * See also

    Derived terms

    * extermination * exterminative * exterminator * exterminatory

    Related terms

    * terminate * termination * terminator