brainwash

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• enPR: brān'wŏsh, IPA^(key): /ˈbɹeɪnwɒʃ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

brainwash (plural brainwashes)

1. A distorting effect upon one's memory, belief, or ideas, as by propaganda.

Translations

effect upon one's memory, belief or ideas — see brain-washing

Verb

brainwash (third-person singular simple present brainwashes, present participle brainwashing, simple past and past participle brainwashed)

1. (psychology) To affect one's mind by using extreme mental pressure or any other mind-affecting process. (e.g. hypnosis)
2. (figuratively, dated) To take from an electronically controlled machine its stored-up information; to erase a computer's programming. (1960)
3. To persuade completely and forcibly.

   The news media brainwashed many people.

Translations

to affect one's mind

• Arabic: ّغَسَلَ المُخ (ḡasala l-muḵḵ)

  Egyptian Arabic: غَسَل الدِماغ (ḡasal id-dimāḡ)

• Armenian: ուղեղը լվանալ (uġeġə lvanal)
• Catalan: rentar el cervell
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 洗腦／洗脑 (sai² nou⁵)

  Mandarin: 洗腦／洗脑 (zh) (xǐnǎo)

• Czech: vymýt mozek
• Danish: hjernevaske
• Dutch: hersenspoelen (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: aivopestä (fi)
• French: décerveler (fr), laver le cerveau, bourrer le crâne (fr)
• German: einer Gehirnwäsche unterziehen, gehirnwaschen
• Hebrew: שָׁטַף מֹחַ (shatáf móach)
• Hungarian: agymosást végez
• Icelandic: heilaþvo
• Italian: fare il lavaggio del cervello
• Japanese: 洗脳する (ja) (せんのうする, sennō suru)
• Korean: 세뇌하다 (senoehada)
• Lao: ລ້າງສະໝອງ (lāng sa mǭng)
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Mongolian: тархи угаах (tarxi ugaax)
• Polish: prać mózg komu impf, wyprać mózg komu pf
• Portuguese: fazer lavagem cerebral em
• Romanian: spăla creier
• Russian: промыва́ть мозги́ impf (promyvátʹ mozgí), промы́ть мозги́ pf (promýtʹ mozgí), зомбировать (ru) impf or pf (zombirovatʹ)
• Slovak: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: lavar el cerebro
• Swahili: fua bongo
• Swedish: hjärntvätta (sv)
• Thai: ล้างสมอง (th) (láang-sà-mɔ̌ɔng)
• Turkish: beyin yıkamak (tr)
• Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: tẩy não (vi)