exorcise

IPA/ˈeksɔːsaɪz/
IPA/ˈeksɔːrsaɪz/

exorcise — verb

  • exorcisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • exorciseshe / she / it
  • exorcisedpast simple
  • exorcising-ing form

1. to send an evil or unwanted spirit away from a person, building, or area by sayi

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to send an evil or unwanted spirit away from a person, building, or area by saying special prayers or performing a religious ceremony

例句

The village elders asked a shaman to exorcise the spirit from the old temple.

direct object: exorcise + spirit from + place

Father Okafor used holy water and prayers to exorcise the ghost from the house.

同義詞
  • expel

    more general; can apply to people (expel from school) or gases, not limited to spirits

  • drive out

    less formal and more physical; does not imply a religious ritual

  • cast out

    slightly literary; can be used for spirits but also metaphorically for unwanted people or ideas

反義詞
  • summon

    to call a spirit to appear, the opposite of sending it away

  • invoke

    to call upon a spirit for help, rather than forcing it to leave

文法句型

exorcise + spirit/demon from + person/place

be exorcised from

用法筆記

The direct object can be either the evil spirit (exorcise a demon) or the affected person or place (exorcise a house). Passive forms are very common when describing the ritual itself, as the speaker often focuses on the result rather than the person performing the act.

常見錯誤

❌The priest exorcised the room by sweeping it.
✅The priest exorcised the demon from the room.
💡exorcise always involves spirits or evil forces, not general cleaning or tidying.
❌She exorcised her headache with aspirin.
✅She got rid of her headache with aspirin.
💡do not use exorcise for ordinary physical problems; it is reserved for spiritual or extreme figurative contexts.

2. to free yourself from the painful memories or bad emotional effects of a past ex

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to free yourself from the painful memories or bad emotional effects of a past experience, so that they no longer affect you negatively

例句

After his car accident, Kenji tried to exorcise his fear of driving through short trips.

exorcise + fear of + [activity]

Writing in her journal helped Elena exorcise the anger she still felt after the divorce.

同義詞
  • purge

    stronger and more violent; suggests a forceful, complete removal

  • eliminate

    more neutral and clinical; does not carry the spiritual metaphor

  • get rid of

    informal and very general; works for both abstract and concrete things

反義詞
  • dwell on

    to keep thinking about a bad memory instead of releasing it

  • repress

    to push a memory down rather than genuinely removing its emotional power

文法句型

exorcise + memory/fear/pain

exorcise + abstract noun

用法筆記

This is a metaphorical extension of sense 1. The object must be an abstract noun referring to a negative feeling or memory — never a physical object. Often used in literary, journalistic, or therapeutic contexts.

常見錯誤

❌She exorcised her old furniture before moving.
✅She got rid of her old furniture before moving.
💡exorcise cannot be used for physical objects you simply throw away.