Exorcise
verb
To make a spirit or demon leave a person or place.
The priest will exorcise the haunted house.
Often appears as...
- exorcise a demon
- exorcise a ghost
verb
To get rid of something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive.
He needed to exorcise his feelings of guilt.
Often appears as...
- exorcise the past
- exorcise guilt
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To make a spirit or demon leave a person or place.
The priest will exorcise the haunted house.
Often appears as...
- exorcise a demon
- exorcise a ghost
verb
To get rid of something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive.
He needed to exorcise his feelings of guilt.
Often appears as...
- exorcise the past
- exorcise guilt
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Ritual Context
Often used in religious or mystical contexts, where a ritual is performed to remove spirits.
The shaman used ancient rites to exorcise the spirit.
Pro Tip 2/3Dramatic Tone
Carries a sense of drama; might be used in hyperbole to emphasize difficulty of a task.
We finally managed to exorcise the persistent issues from the network.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural References
Frequently appears in media depicting supernatural themes, like horror movies or novels.
The exorcism scene in the movie was terrifying.
Pro Tip 1/3Ritual Context
Often used in religious or mystical contexts, where a ritual is performed to remove spirits.
The shaman used ancient rites to exorcise the spirit.
Pro Tip 2/3Dramatic Tone
Carries a sense of drama; might be used in hyperbole to emphasize difficulty of a task.
We finally managed to exorcise the persistent issues from the network.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural References
Frequently appears in media depicting supernatural themes, like horror movies or novels.
The exorcism scene in the movie was terrifying.
Pro Tip 1/3Ritual Context
Often used in religious or mystical contexts, where a ritual is performed to remove spirits.
The shaman used ancient rites to exorcise the spirit.
Pro Tip 2/3Dramatic Tone
Carries a sense of drama; might be used in hyperbole to emphasize difficulty of a task.
We finally managed to exorcise the persistent issues from the network.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural References
Frequently appears in media depicting supernatural themes, like horror movies or novels.
The exorcism scene in the movie was terrifying.
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Video examples
Sherwin Nuland: How...
or what we now recognize as schizophrenia, he was certain that this kind of illness had to come from evil spirits getting into the body. So the way of treating these diseases in early times was to, in some way or other, exorcise those evil spirits.
Video examples
Into Nicaragua's Masaya...
of a volatile inferno, where scientists are looking for signs that could end up saving thousands of lives. Masaya in Nicaragua is so feared that religious crusaders once tried to exorcise the devil out of its heart.
Video examples
Sherwin Nuland: How...
or what we now recognize as schizophrenia, he was certain that this kind of illness had to come from evil spirits getting into the body. So the way of treating these diseases in early times was to, in some way or other, exorcise those evil spirits.
Video examples
Into Nicaragua's Masaya...
of a volatile inferno, where scientists are looking for signs that could end up saving thousands of lives. Masaya in Nicaragua is so feared that religious crusaders once tried to exorcise the devil out of its heart.
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Michael Shannon
American Actor
You can't escape this feeling of disintegration. The world is fragile. But you also can't let it ruin your life. I'm actually a pretty composed person. I guess people imagine I spend my life thinking about crazy, sinister things but I don't, really. It's not like I'm trying to exorcise any demons.
Quote examples
Jodie Foster
American Actress
In a weird way, that's the beauty of being an actor. You get to live out things that you're afraid of, and you get to say, 'Well, maybe I can get to the end of it and survive it intact and I can be the hero of my own story.' It's kind of a way of exorcising fear.
Quote examples
John Logan
American Producer
I couldn't write a happy movie or romantic comedy to save my life. Yes, Noel Coward's an idol, but his plays are serious to me. 'Private Lives' and 'Design for Living' both have an edge. Without psychoanalyzing myself, I think I exorcise my demons in my work.
Quote examples
Ben Marcus
American Author
I work, and then I leave the office, and I'm with my kids and just sort of enjoy them on a visceral level, and I don't feel like I'm exorcising my own deep ideas about parenthood and about how my life will come into play in my work.
Quote examples
Skeet Ulrich
American Actor
As an actor, you want to keep your demons to some extent, but you also have to exorcise them so you can use them instead of them using you.
Quote examples
Naomi Watts
English Actress
I'm not this dark, twisted person. Yes, I have my demons and this is my way of exorcising them. It gets them out - and better out than in.
Quote examples
Tituss Burgess
American Actor
When I need to exorcise a demon, I grab whatever score is going to house the song I need to sing out of my system, and I sing it.
Quote examples
Yance Ford
American Director
Grief is a very complicated monster. There's no real exorcising of it. It has a different form every day.
Quote examples
Ruth Rendell
British Writer
I don't exorcise anything with my writing. I'm sure people do, but I don't.
Quote examples
Jimmy Kimmel
American Celebrity
You don't need to exorcise your personal demons onstage.
Quote examples
Michael Shannon
American Actor
You can't escape this feeling of disintegration. The world is fragile. But you also can't let it ruin your life. I'm actually a pretty composed person. I guess people imagine I spend my life thinking about crazy, sinister things but I don't, really. It's not like I'm trying to exorcise any demons.
Quote examples
Jodie Foster
American Actress
In a weird way, that's the beauty of being an actor. You get to live out things that you're afraid of, and you get to say, 'Well, maybe I can get to the end of it and survive it intact and I can be the hero of my own story.' It's kind of a way of exorcising fear.
Quote examples
John Logan
American Producer
I couldn't write a happy movie or romantic comedy to save my life. Yes, Noel Coward's an idol, but his plays are serious to me. 'Private Lives' and 'Design for Living' both have an edge. Without psychoanalyzing myself, I think I exorcise my demons in my work.
Quote examples
Ben Marcus
American Author
I work, and then I leave the office, and I'm with my kids and just sort of enjoy them on a visceral level, and I don't feel like I'm exorcising my own deep ideas about parenthood and about how my life will come into play in my work.
Quote examples
Skeet Ulrich
American Actor
As an actor, you want to keep your demons to some extent, but you also have to exorcise them so you can use them instead of them using you.
Quote examples
Naomi Watts
English Actress
I'm not this dark, twisted person. Yes, I have my demons and this is my way of exorcising them. It gets them out - and better out than in.
Quote examples
Tituss Burgess
American Actor
When I need to exorcise a demon, I grab whatever score is going to house the song I need to sing out of my system, and I sing it.
Quote examples
Yance Ford
American Director
Grief is a very complicated monster. There's no real exorcising of it. It has a different form every day.
Quote examples
Ruth Rendell
British Writer
I don't exorcise anything with my writing. I'm sure people do, but I don't.
Quote examples
Jimmy Kimmel
American Celebrity
You don't need to exorcise your personal demons onstage.
Example 1 of 10
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