diff --git a/backend/app/api/v1/routes_glossaries.py b/backend/app/api/v1/routes_glossaries.py
index 6e8763f..7017795 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/v1/routes_glossaries.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/v1/routes_glossaries.py
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ async def reembed_version(
     return {"status": "queued", "version_id": version_id}
 
 
-# ── Archive (soft-delete) ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── Delete ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 @router.delete("/{glossary_id}", status_code=204)
 async def archive_glossary(
diff --git a/backend/app/services/glossary_service.py b/backend/app/services/glossary_service.py
index 566f123..7eee6cb 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/glossary_service.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/glossary_service.py
@@ -334,12 +334,24 @@ async def activate_version(glossary_id: str, version_id: str) -> None:
 
 
 async def archive_glossary(glossary_id: str) -> None:
+    """Hard-delete the glossary and all its versions and terms."""
     db = await get_database()
-    await db[_COLL_GLOSSARIES].update_one(
-        {"_id": ObjectId(glossary_id)},
-        {"$set": {"status": GlossaryStatus.ARCHIVED.value}},
-    )
+
+    versions = await db[_COLL_VERSIONS].find(
+        {"glossary_id": glossary_id}, {"_id": 1}
+    ).to_list(length=None)
+    version_ids = [str(v["_id"]) for v in versions]
+
+    if version_ids:
+        terms_result = await db[_COLL_TERMS].delete_many({"version_id": {"$in": version_ids}})
+        logger.info(f"Deleted {terms_result.deleted_count} terms for glossary {glossary_id}")
+
+        await db[_COLL_VERSIONS].delete_many({"glossary_id": glossary_id})
+        logger.info(f"Deleted {len(version_ids)} versions for glossary {glossary_id}")
+
+    await db[_COLL_GLOSSARIES].delete_one({"_id": ObjectId(glossary_id)})
     await _invalidate_cache(glossary_id)
+    logger.info(f"Deleted glossary {glossary_id}")
 
 
 # ── Retrieval ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────