Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense exorcizes, present participle exorcizing, past tense, past participle exorcizedregional note: in BRIT, also use exorcise
1. verb
If you exorcize a painful or unhappy memory, you succeed in removing it from your mind.
He confronted his childhood trauma and tried to exorcise the pain. [VERB noun]
The birth of my second daughter has finally exorcised these feelings of guilt. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: drive out, expel, cast out, adjure More Synonyms of exorcize
2. verb
To exorcize an evil spirit or to exorcize a place or person means to force the spirit to leave the place or person by means of prayers and religiousceremonies.
They came to our house and exorcised me. [VERB noun]
Last year, a 15-year-old girl, alleged to be possessed by the devil, was exorcisedlive on TV. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: purify, free, cleanse More Synonyms of exorcize
exorcize in British English
or exorcise (ˈɛksɔːˌsaɪz)
verb
(transitive)
to expel or attempt to expel (one or more evil spirits) from (a person or place believed to be possessed or haunted), by prayers, adjurations, and religious rites
Derived forms
exorcizer (ˈexorˌcizer) or exorciser (ˈexorˌciser)
noun
exorcism (ˈexorcism)
noun
exorcist (ˈexorcist)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Late Latin exorcizāre, from Greek exorkizein, from ex-1 + horkizein to adjure
Examples of 'exorcize' in a sentence
exorcize
Later, when his ordinary mind began to work again, Johannes would think that he painted to exorcize war itself.
Appiganesi, Lisa DREAMS OF INNOCENCE
Which had probably all been thrown out along with the clothes, Liz told Alec Stainton herself pessimistically, to exorcize the ghosts.
Murray, Stephen DEATH AND TRANSFIGURATION
What better way to exorcize the horrors of the sickroom than with flesh that was smooth and whole and healthy?
Penman, Sharon HERE BE DRAGONS
1 (verb)
Definition
to expel (evil spirits) by prayers and religious rites
He tried to exorcize the pain he felt after surviving such a tragedy.
Synonyms
drive out
expel
Poisonous gas is expelled into the atmosphere.
cast out
adjure
2 (verb)
The priest came to our house and exorcized me.
Synonyms
purify
Plants can filter and purify the air in your office.