'annihilate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'annihilare', where 'ad-' meant 'to/toward' and 'nihil' meant 'nothing'.

'annihilare' passed through Late Latin (e.g. 'annihilatus') and was adopted into English in the 17th century as 'annihilate', keeping the sense of reducing to nothing.

Initially, it meant 'to reduce to nothing' and over time it has retained that core meaning while also being used figuratively for overwhelming defeat or total removal.