灭绝 (mièjué) — Extinction, to exterminate

灭绝 (mièjué)

灭绝 refers to the complete dying out or elimination of a species, language, or group -- the point of no return where something ceases to exist entirely.

Meanings

1. [verb] to become extinct; to exterminate completely; to wipe out
2. [noun] extinction; extermination

Example Sentences

恐龙在大约六千五百万年前灭绝了。 Kǒnglóng zài dàyuē liù qiān wǔ bǎi wàn nián qián mièjué le. Dinosaurs went extinct approximately 65 million years ago.

人类的过度猎杀导致了许多动物物种的灭绝。 Rénlèi de guòdù lièshā dǎozhìle xǔduō dòngwù wùzhǒng de mièjué. Excessive hunting by humans has led to the extinction of many animal species.

生物多样性的丧失和物种灭绝是全球生态危机的重要标志。 Shēngwù duōyàng xìng de sàngshī hé wùzhǒng mièjué shì quánqiú shēngtài wēijī de zhòngyào biāozhì. The loss of biodiversity and species extinction are important markers of the global ecological crisis.

科学家警告，如果不采取行动，本世纪将发生大规模物种灭绝。 Kēxuéjiā jǐnggào, rúguǒ bù cǎiqǔ xíngdòng, běn shìjì jiāng fāshēng dà guīmó wùzhǒng mièjué. Scientists warn that if no action is taken, mass species extinction will occur this century.

这种植物由于栖息地被破坏，已经濒临灭绝。 Zhè zhǒng zhíwù yóuyú qīxīdì bèi pòhuài, yǐjīng bīnlín mièjué. This plant is on the brink of extinction due to habitat destruction.

通过人工繁育和放归自然，人们希望能阻止某些物种走向灭绝。 Tōngguò réngōng fányù hé fàngguī zìrán, rénmen xīwàng néng zǔzhǐ mǒuxiē wùzhǒng zǒuxiàng mièjué. Through captive breeding and release into the wild, people hope to prevent certain species from heading toward extinction.

Collocations

Usage Notes

灭绝 is the definitive endpoint -- total extinction, with no individuals remaining. It is stronger and more final than 濒危 (endangered). In biology, the phrase 大规模灭绝 (mass extinction) or 大灭绝 refers to historical extinction events such as the end-Cretaceous event that killed the dinosaurs.

Note that 灭绝 can also be used in a non-biological sense to mean the complete eradication of something, such as a cultural practice or a group. However, in modern Chinese usage, it most commonly appears in environmental and biological contexts.

Memory Hook

灭 = to extinguish/wipe out (fire going out), 绝 = to cut off completely/end -- extinguishing and cutting off completely -- extinction.