Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cremate

/ˈkɹimeɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.12 in modern English

Syllables: cre-mate
IPA: /ˈkɹimeɪt/

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To burn something to ashes.

Transitive verb

verb

To incinerate a dead body (as an alternative to burial).

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"I want to be cremated when I die."
"“You didn’t bury Dad. You burned him.” “We cremated him, Benny. For humans, the word is cremated. And we chose to do that because that’s what they do in Japan.”"

Etymology

First attested in 1889; borrowed from Latin cremātus, perfect passive participle of cremō (“to burn to ashes; to cremate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Origin

First known use: First attested in 1889

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkɹimeɪt/
British English: /kɹɪˈmeɪt/

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

cremates (present, singular) cremating (participle, present) cremated (participle, past) cremated (past)

Derived Forms

cremains cremator crematory incremate noncremated uncremated

Frequently Paired Words

cremation crematorium

Synonyms

burn away cinder burn burn down burn up burn to a crisp char up combure combust cremate forburn forsweal

Questions

How do you pronounce cremate?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɹimeɪt/.
What does cremate mean?: To burn something to ashes.
Where does cremate come from?: First known use: First attested in 1889.

How to pronounce cremate

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cremate”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɹimeɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cremate”.
Repeat and practice — Say “cremate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.