detoxify

American

[dee-tok-suh-fahy] / diˈtɒk sə faɪ /

verb (used with object)

to rid of poison or the effect of poison.
to treat (a person addicted to alcohol or drugs) in a detox program.

verb (used without object)

to undergo detox or metabolic detoxification.

detoxify British

/ diːˈtɒksɪˌfaɪ /

verb

to remove poison from; detoxicate
to treat (a person) for alcoholism or drug addiction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

detoxification

noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of detoxify

First recorded in 1900–05; detoxi(cate) + -fy

Vocabulary lists containing detoxify

Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: de-

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bethany Maxwell, technical officer at Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, added: "We know that primates eat soil especially to detoxify or for nutrient supplementation."

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Silver, for her part, argues that Meghan may be hoping to "detoxify" her brand with the new show.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2025

Practitioners claim head spas aid circulation as well as detoxify and hydrate the scalp.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2025

Sourakov suspects these genes may be related both to the ability of bella moths to detoxify alkaloids and to their remarkable longevity.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2024

How flies and other insects detoxify the organic phosphorus chemicals is less clearly understood.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023