1.extinguish的基本意思是用窒息、闷死、水浇等方法“使熄灭”“扑灭”。extinguish还可引申表示如同吹灭一支蜡烛或用水浇灭一堆火一样使某事物突然和完全结束、不复存在或销声匿迹。
2.extinguish是及物动词,接名词或代词作宾语,可用于被动结构。

用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
He extinguished his opponents with a single word.他一句话便使对手哑口无言。
You may extinguish a nation, but not the love of liberty.你能灭亡一个国家,但却不能消灭人们对自由的热爱。
Firemen extinguished the blaze quickly.消防队员很快把火扑灭。
Nothing could extinguish his faith in human nature.没什么能使他丧失对人性的信念。
His discovery extinguished the achievements of his colleague.他的发现使他的同事的成就黯然失色。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
Hope for his safe arrival was slowly extinguished.对他平安到达的希望慢慢地破灭了。
His life was finally extinguished by the onset of pneumonia.他的生命之火终于因肺炎的侵袭而熄灭了。