PURGING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does purging mean? 

• PURGING (noun)
  The noun PURGING has 2 senses:

1. an act of removing by cleansing; ridding of sediment or other undesired elements

2. the act of clearing yourself (or another) from some stigma or charge

  Familiarity information: PURGING used as a noun is rare.

• PURGING (adjective)
  The adjective PURGING has 1 sense:

1. serving to purge or rid of sin

  Familiarity information: PURGING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PURGING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An act of removing by cleansing; ridding of sediment or other undesired elements

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

purge; purging

Hypernyms ("purging" is a kind of...):

cleaning; cleansing; cleanup (the act of making something clean)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "purging"):

abreaction; catharsis; katharsis ((psychoanalysis) purging of emotional tensions)

catharsis; katharsis; purgation (purging the body by the use of a cathartic to stimulate evacuation of the bowels)

Derivation:

purge (rid of impurities)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of clearing yourself (or another) from some stigma or charge

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

purgation; purge; purging

Hypernyms ("purging" is a kind of...):

clearing (the act of freeing from suspicion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "purging"):

purification (the act of purging of sin or guilt; moral or spiritual cleansing)

Derivation:

purge (rid of impurities)

• PURGING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Serving to purge or rid of sin

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

purgatorial; purging; purifying

Context example:

purgatorial rites

Pertainym:

purgation (the act of clearing yourself (or another) from some stigma or charge)

 Context examples 

Types of eating disorders include: • Anorexia nervosa, in which you become too thin, but you don't eat enough because you think you are fat • Bulimia nervosa, which involves periods of overeating followed by purging, sometimes through self-induced vomiting or using laxatives • Binge-eating, which is out-of-control eating

(Eating Disorders, NIH: National Institute of Mental Health)