Meaning

3 senses
  1. (transitive)To affect one's mind by using extreme mental pressure or any other mind-affecting process. (e.g. hypnosis)

    einer Gehirnwäsche unterziehen, gehirnwaschen

    промыва́ть мозги́promyvátʹ mozgí, промы́ть мозги́promýtʹ mozgí, зомби́роватьzombírovatʹ

  2. (dated, figuratively, transitive)To take from an electronically controlled machine its stored-up information; to erase a computer's programming. (1960)

  3. (transitive)To persuade completely and forcibly.

    The news media brainwashed many people.

    persuade completely, often through coercion

Examples

60 sentences
  1. I was brainwashed.

    Мені промили мізки.

    ruМне промыли мозги.

    deIch wurde einer Gehirnwäsche unterzogen.

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  2. Tom claimed he had been brainwashed.

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  3. Tom thought Mary might've been brainwashed.

    ruТом думал, что Мэри, возможно, промыли мозги.

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  4. Do you think Tom has been brainwashed?

    ruТы думаешь, Тому промыли мозги?

    deGlaubst du, Tom wurde einer Gehirnwäsche unterzogen?

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  5. Tom thought that Mary might've been brainwashed.

    ruТом думал, что Мэри, возможно, промыли мозги.

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Translations

8 languages
Русский
By meaning 1
to affect one's mind:
Deutsch
By meaning 1
to affect one's mind:

Origin

From brain + wash, a calque of Chinese 洗腦 /洗脑 (xǐnǎo), literally to wash the brain. Usage

From brain + wash, a calque of Chinese 洗腦 /洗脑 (xǐnǎo), literally to wash the brain. Usage via U.S. military during the Korean War.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

brainwashes, brainwashing, brainwashed, brainwashed
Base formbrainwash · to brainwash
3rd person singularbrainwashes
Present participlebrainwashing
Past simplebrainwashed
Past participlebrainwashed

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theybrainwash
he, she, itbrainwashes

Past simpleLesson

all personsbrainwashed

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave brainwashed
he, she, ithas brainwashed

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill brainwash

Word family

6 related words

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
brainwash — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto