expel
gb/ɪkspˈɛl/ us/ɪkspˈɛl/
B2
English
~ 8900
kizár, kicsap, kiutasít, deportál, kitoloncol, kiszorít, kibocsát, kifúj, kilök, kitol
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
to expel [someone] from [an organization/place]
The school decided to expel him after he was caught cheating on multiple exams.
Az iskola úgy döntött, kizárja, miután több vizsgán is csaláson kapták.
Members who break the code of conduct may be expelled from the organization.
A magatartási szabályzatot megszegő tagokat kizárhatják a szervezetből.
The party voted to expel the senator over the corruption scandal.
She was expelled from college for repeated plagiarism.
Any student found with a weapon on campus will be immediately expelled.
Learner examples
The school may expel students who use drugs.
Az iskola kizárhatja azokat a diákokat, akik drogot fogyasztanak.
He was expelled from the club for fighting.
Verekedés miatt kizárták a klubból.
They expelled her from university for cheating.
The team will expel any player who breaks the rules.
The party leaders want to expel him from the party.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"kick out"* in formal contexts where *"expel"* is better, especially in writing about schools or official bodies. They may also confuse *"expel"* with *"suspend"*: *suspend* usually means the person must leave for a limited time, while *expel* usually means they must leave permanently.
Meaning
officially force someone to leave
Collocations
expel a student
|expel a member
|expel from school
|formally expelled
|vote to expel
|threaten to expel
Synonyms
expel (base form; strong, formal word used especially for schools and organizations)
|
dismiss (more general and often softer; used for jobs and schools, not usually for clubs or parties)
|
exclude (focuses on not allowing someone in; slightly broader and less tied to punishment)
Antonyms
admit (opposite in the sense of allowing someone to join or enter an organization)
Themes
education
|law
|work
|society
Definition
to make someone leave a school or group because they did something very wrong
To officially force someone to leave a school, club, political party, or other organization, usually as a punishment for breaking rules.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
to expel [someone] from [a country]
The government expelled two foreign diplomats for spying.
A kormány kémkedés miatt kiutasított két külföldi diplomatát.
During the conflict, thousands of people were expelled from the country.
A konfliktus során emberek ezreit utasították ki az országból.
He faces being expelled from the country after his visa was revoked.
Several journalists were expelled for reporting on the protests.
The regime has expelled opposition leaders into exile.
Learner examples
The government may expel people who break the law.
A kormány kiutasíthatja az országból azokat, akik megszegik a törvényt.
They expelled the journalist from the country.
Kiutasították az újságírót az országból.
Many workers were expelled when their visas ended.
The king expelled his enemies from the land.
The country decided to expel all foreign soldiers.
Common mistake:
Learners often use *"send out"* or *"kick out of the country"* instead of the more formal and precise verbs *"expel"* or *"deport"*. They also sometimes forget the preposition *"from"* and say *"expel them the country"* instead of *"expel them from the country"*.
Meaning
force someone to leave a country
Collocations
expel foreign diplomats
|expel refugees
|expel migrants
|expel from the country
|threaten to expel
|order the expulsion of
Synonyms
deport (most common legal term; often used instead of *expel* in immigration contexts)
|
banish (more literary or historical; suggests permanent removal, often as a punishment)
Antonyms
receive (opposite in the sense of accepting and allowing people to stay in a country)
Themes
law
|politics
|migration
|society
|travel
Definition
to make someone leave a country by law, often for political or legal reasons
To officially force a person or group to leave a country, usually for political, legal, or security reasons.
VERB
C1
3
Usage pattern:
to expel [a substance] from [a place/container]
As the piston moves up, it expels air from the cylinder.
Ahogy a dugattyú felfelé mozog, kiszorítja a levegőt a hengerből.
The factory chimney expels thick black smoke into the sky.
A gyár kéménye sűrű fekete füstöt bocsát ki a levegőbe.
Many fish expel water through their gills as they breathe.
The device filters the air and then expels clean air back into the room.
When you squeeze the bottle, it expels a fine mist of perfume.
Learner examples
The engine expels hot gas.
A motor forró gázt bocsát ki.
This fan expels air from the room.
Ez a ventilátor kifújja a levegőt a szobából.
The whale expels water from the top of its head.
When you press the can, it expels paint.
The machine expels waste water into the river.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *"expel"* with *"exhale"*. *Exhale* is used only for breathing (air from the lungs), while *expel* can be used for many substances and is more formal. They may also say *"throw out air"* when *"expel air"* or *"let out air"* sound more natural in formal writing.
Meaning
force a substance out
Collocations
expel air
|expel smoke
|expel gas
|expel exhaust fumes
|expel waste
|expel water
Synonyms
discharge (slightly more technical; often used for liquids, electricity, or stored energy)
|
emit (often used for light, sound, or gas; more neutral and common in scientific writing)
Antonyms
intake (opposite in the sense of taking air or another substance in)
Themes
science
|technology
|environment
Definition
to push gas, air, liquid, or smoke out of a place or thing
To force a substance such as gas, air, liquid, or smoke out of a container, opening, or enclosed space.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
to expel [something] from the body
The body will often naturally expel a small foreign object from the eye.
A szervezet gyakran magától kilök egy kisebb idegen testet a szemből.
In some cases, the uterus fails to expel the placenta after birth.
Egyes esetekben a méh szülés után nem képes kilökni a méhlepényt.
The medication helps the patient expel intestinal gas more easily.
Violent coughing can sometimes expel food that is blocking the airway.
The procedure stimulates the uterus to expel the remaining tissue.
Learner examples
The body can expel a small piece of glass from the skin.
A szervezet képes kilökni egy apró üvegszilánkot a bőrből.
The woman’s body began to expel the baby.
A nő teste elkezdte kitolni a babát.
He coughed hard and expelled the food from his throat.
The doctor helped her expel the object from her nose.
The medicine helps the body expel waste.
Common mistake:
Learners may use *"push out"* or *"take out"* instead of the more formal medical verb *"expel"*. They may also confuse this with the more common sense of *"expel from school"*, not realizing that in medical texts *"expel"* usually refers to the body forcing something out.
Meaning
force something out of the body
Collocations
expel the fetus
|expel the placenta
|expel a foreign body
|expel stomach contents
|expel intestinal gas
|fail to expel
Synonyms
dislodge (focuses on removing something from where it is stuck; less specific to the body)
|
evacuate (technical medical term, often used for removing contents from an organ)
Antonyms
retain (opposite in the sense of keeping something inside the body)
Themes
medicine
|health
|biology
|body
Definition
to push something out of the body, like a baby or an object, often in medical situations
To force something out of the body, such as a fetus, an organ, or a foreign object, often used in medical or biological contexts.
Grammar
Dictionary form
expel
IPA
GB/ɪkspˈɛl/
US/ɪkspˈɛl/
Syllables & stress
ex - pel (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pel)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: expel
- 3rd Person Singular: expels
- Present Participle: expelling
- Past: expelled
Word family
Forms
expels
verb
expelling
verb
expelled
verb
Core family
expulsion
noun
Advanced or less common
expulsive
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: expelling Verb
- Irregular past: expelled Verb
Expressions
expel air from your lungs
1/ɪkspˈɛl ˈɛɹ fɹˈʌm jˈʊɹ lˈʌŋz/
fixed phrase
force air out of the lungs
to push air out of your lungs, for example when you breathe out strongly
Examples
- When you cough, you expel air from your lungs very quickly.
- The exercise requires you to slowly expel air from your lungs while tightening your stomach muscles.
expel someone from school
1/ɪkspˈɛl sˈʌmwˌʌn fɹˈʌm skˈul/
fixed phrase
force a student to leave school
to officially make a student leave a school forever because they did something very wrong
Examples
- The principal warned that they would expel someone from school if the bullying continued.
- It is rare to expel someone from school over a single mistake.
- They had no choice but to expel someone from school after the serious incident.
expel someone from the country
1/ɪkspˈɛl sˈʌmwˌʌn fɹˈʌm ðə kˈʌntɹi/
fixed phrase
formal
officially force from a country
to officially make a person leave a country and not come back, usually by law
Examples
- The government may expel someone from the country if they commit a serious crime.
- They decided to expel someone from the country for violating the terms of their visa.