Translation guide
To completely destroy or kill a group of living things, especially pests or enemies. In Japanese, the best word depends on what is being exterminated and the context.
To kill or eliminate insects, rodents, or other unwanted creatures, often using chemicals or professional methods.
The most common and general term for exterminating pests, vermin, or harmful animals. Used for insects, rats, etc., often by professionals or with pesticides.
ゴキブリを駆除する。
Exterminate cockroaches.
To get rid of or exterminate pests, often with a nuance of fighting or subduing them. Common in everyday speech for insects, monsters, etc.
家の中のアリを退治する。
Exterminate the ants in the house.
To eradicate or wipe out completely, often used in formal or campaign contexts (e.g., disease, pests). Stronger than 駆除.
蚊を撲滅する運動。
A campaign to exterminate mosquitoes.
To deliberately kill a large group of people, often in the context of war, genocide, or ethnic cleansing.
To cause the extinction of a group; used for genocide or wiping out an entire population. Strong and often used in historical or political contexts.
その民族は絶滅させられた。
That ethnic group was exterminated.
To annihilate or wipe out completely, often used in military contexts. Implies total destruction of an enemy force.
敵軍を殲滅する。
Exterminate the enemy army.
To eradicate completely, to root out and destroy every last one. Can be used for people or things, but has a strong, often brutal nuance.
反対派を根絶やしにする。
Exterminate the opposition.
To completely eliminate something non-physical, such as a social problem, disease, or ideology.
Commonly used for eradicating social ills, diseases, or undesirable phenomena. Often appears in slogans.
犯罪を撲滅しよう。
Let's exterminate crime.
To root out and completely eliminate, often used for diseases or deep-seated problems.
天然痘は根絶された。
Smallpox was exterminated.
駆除 (kujo) is the standard term for pest control, often by professionals. 退治 (taiji) is more casual and implies fighting or subduing, like in folktales (Momotaro exterminating ogres). 撲滅 (bokumetsu) means complete eradication and is used in formal campaigns against social ills or diseases.
For killing a single bug or animal, Japanese usually uses 殺す (korosu, to kill) rather than a word for 'exterminate'. 駆除 implies a systematic elimination of many pests.