wipe

UK: /ˈwaɪp/ US: /waɪp/ ,(wīp)

Inflections of 'wipe' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

wipes

v 3rd person singular

wiping

v pres p

wiped

v past

wiped

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

wipe /waɪp/   v., wiped, wip•ing, n. 
v. 

1. to clean or dry by patting or rubbing:
   [~ + object] to wipe the furniture clean; to wipe the dishes.
2. to remove by or as if by rubbing:
   [~ + object] wiped the tears from her eyes; Wipe that thought from your mind.
3. wipe out:
   • to destroy completely: [~ + out + object]
     They wiped out the supply depots.
     [~ + object + out]
     The crews wiped them out.
   • to murder: [~ + out  + object]
     to wipe out his gangland rivals.
     [~ + object + out]
     to wipe them out.

n. [countable]

4. an act of wiping.

wip•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

wipe  (wīp), v., wiped, wip•ing, n. 
v.t. 

1. to rub lightly with or on a cloth, towel, paper, the hand, etc., in order to clean or dry the surface of:
   He wiped the furniture with a damp cloth.
2. to rub or draw (something) over a surface, as in cleaning or drying.
3. to remove by rubbing with or on something (usually fol. by away, off, out, etc.):
   Wipe the dirt off your shoes. Wipe the dust from the pictures.
4. to remove as if by rubbing (usually fol. by away, off, etc.):
   Wipe that smile off your face!
5. to erase, as from existence or memory (often fol. by from):
   to wipe a thought from one's mind.
6. to erase (magnetic tape, a recording, etc.).
7. Building [Plumbing.]
   • Building to apply (solder in a semifluid state) by spreading with leather or cloth over the part to be soldered.
   • Building to form (a joint) in this manner.
8. Mechanical Engineering [Mach.] (of a rotating shaft or the like) to melt the brasses of (a bearing) through friction.
9. British Terms [Australian Slang.] to refuse to have anything to do with;
   reject;
   dismiss.
10. wipe out:
    • to destroy completely;
      demolish:
      The entire city was wiped out.
    • [Informal.] to murder;
      kill:
      They wiped him out to keep him from testifying.
    • [Slang.] to beat decisively, as in sports.
    • [Slang.] (in sports) to be taken out of competition by a fall, accident, collision, etc.
    • [Slang.] to intoxicate or cause to become high, esp. on narcotic drugs.
11. wipe up, to clean completely by wiping:
    to wipe up the mess on the floor.

n. 

12. an act of wiping:
    He gave a few quick wipes to the furniture.
13. a rub, as of one thing over another.
14. Show Business Also called wipe′-off′. [Motion Pictures.] a technique in film editing by which the projected image of a scene appears to be pushed or wiped off the screen by the image that follows.
15. a piece of absorbent material, as of paper or cloth, used for wiping.
16. a sweeping stroke or blow.
17. a gibe.
18. Mechanical Engineering [Mach.] wiper (def. 5).
19. [Slang.] a handkerchief.

• bef. 1000; Middle English (verb, verbal), Old English wīpian; cognate with Old High German wīfan to wind round, Gothic weipan to crown; perh. akin to Latin vibrāre to move to and fro

Synonyms

• 4. erase, eradicate, banish.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

wipe / waɪp/ verb (transitive)

1. to rub (a surface or object) lightly, esp with (a cloth, hand, etc), as in removing dust, water, grime, etc
2. usually followed by off, away, from, up, etc: to remove by or as if by rubbing lightly: he wiped the dirt from his hands
3. to eradicate or cancel (a thought, memory, etc)
4. to erase a recording from (an audio or video tape)
5. to abandon or reject (a person)
6. to apply (oil, grease, etc) by wiping
7. to form (a joint between two lead pipes) with solder or soft lead
8. wipe the floor with someone ⇒ to defeat someone decisively

noun

1. the act or an instance of wiping
2. a piece of cloth used to clean a surface
3. a sweeping blow or stroke
4. a gibe or jeer
5. 
   a slang name for handkerchief

Etymology: Old English wīpian, related to Middle Low German wīpen, wīp bundle (of cloth), Old High German wīffa, wīfan to wind, Gothic weipan to wreathe