View synonyms for

purging

[ pur-jing ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

having a clearing, emptying, or purifying effect:
Her fears of death have passed like a cloud, absorbed in the purging sunlight of clear poetry.
having to do with deliberate or induced vomiting or evacuation of the bowels: These purging drugs have an excellent safety record.
Many physical conditions result from the purging aspect of bulimia, including electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal problems, and dental issues.
These purging drugs have an excellent safety record.

noun

the action of clearing, emptying, or purifying:
It may require a lot of focused work involving the purging of old habits and harsh self-judgment.
The drugs have been used clinically in the purging of T-cells or tumor cells from bone marrow before transplantation.
the act of removing or expelling people who are considered disloyal or otherwise unwanted from an organization, political party, nation, etc.:
The judge has granted a temporary injunction stopping the purging of voter registration rolls.
The rebels’ key negotiating point was the purging of the armed forces as a first condition.
deliberate or induced vomiting or evacuation of the bowels: The medication affects the salivary glands, tear ducts, intestines, and bowels, and can cause violent purging.
Binge eating can also occur on its own without the purging that occurs with bulimia.
The medication affects the salivary glands, tear ducts, intestines, and bowels, and can cause violent purging.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of purging¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; purg(e) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses; purg(e) ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Nearly half a dozen such schools operated in California, taking Native American children from their families and purging them of everything that made them Indian.

From

Statewide elections in some states are still relatively competitive, although voter suppression and purging have taken a toll.

From

This process of purging and acquiring became all I talked about.

From

Those with political dominance are purging branches of the civil service, taking over national arts organizations, defunding entitlement programs and threatening corporations that defy their dictates.

From

Fascism is always an ideology based on the belief that modern society has become weak and degenerate, and that the cure is purging certain people.

From

purge purging nut

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