释义 |
exorcise /ˈɛksɔːsʌɪz /(also exorcize) verb [with object]1Drive out or attempt to drive out (a supposed evil spirit) from a person or place: an attempt to exorcise an unquiet spirit...- Some scholars believe that the Chinese Lunar New Year originated from a ritual ceremony originally intended to exorcize the evil spirits.
- Ivan then began performing miracles - he exorcised evil spirits, and healed illnesses and infirmities, at least according to historical sources left from that time.
- He should repent and exorcise the institutional bias of his department.
1.1Rid (a person or place) of a supposed evil spirit: infants were exorcised prior to baptism...- The monk and nuns accused of killing her said they had been exorcising her of evil spirits.
- If somebody was brought to me who needed to be exorcised, provided that the person was willing, I would do all I could to help.
- The other religious people heard of the demon in the church and warned him to exorcize me from the place.
Synonyms drive out, cast out, expel rid, deliver, free, purify, cleanse, purge rare lustrate 1.2Completely remove (something unpleasant) from one’s mind or memory: she wanted to exorcise some of the pain...- His win in California this year exorcised the memory of a famous flop in the same event two years ago.
- Some warmth was gleaned from a midweek cup win over Kaiserslautern on penalties, but that alone will not exorcise the memory of last weekend's 5-1 cuffing by Schalke.
- This afternoon, in an altogether less meaningful league fixture between the sides, Lennon returns to the Gorgie ground determined to exorcise the memory of that demoralising day.
Origin Late Middle English: from French exorciser or ecclesiastical Latin exorcizare, from Greek exorkizein, from ex- 'out' + horkos 'oath'. The word originally meant 'conjure up an evil spirit'; the current sense dates from the mid 16th century. |