decimate

verb

dec·​i·​mate ˈde-sə-ˌmāt 

decimated; decimating

transitive verb

1

history : to select by lot and kill every tenth member of

decimate a regiment

2

: to exact a tax of 10 percent from

… poor as a decimated Cavalier …

—John Dryden

3

a

: to reduce drastically especially in number

An outbreak of cholera decimated the population.

Kamieniecki's return comes at a crucial time for a pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries.

—Jason Diamos

b

: to cause great destruction or harm to

A fire decimated the city.

an industry decimated by recession

decimation

ˌde-sə-ˈmā-shən 

noun

Did you know?

Decimate is a word that often raises hackles, at least those belonging to a small but committed group of logophiles who feel that it is commonly misused. The issue that they have with the decline and fall of the word decimate is that once upon a time in ancient Rome it had a very singular meaning: “to select by lot and kill every tenth man of a military unit.” However, many words in English descended from Latin have changed and/or expanded their meanings in their travels. For example, we no longer think of sinister as meaning “on the left side,” and delicious can describe things both tasty and delightful. Was the “to kill every tenth man” meaning the original use of decimate in English? Yes, but not by much. It took only a few decades for decimate to acquire its broader, familiar meaning of “to severely damage or destroy,” which has been employed steadily since the 17th century.

Synonyms of decimate

• destroy
• devastate
• ruin
• demolish
• shatter
• wreck
• smash

Examples of decimate in a Sentence

This kind of moth is responsible for decimating thousands of trees in our town.

Budget cuts have decimated public services in small towns.

Recent Examples on the Web

The lucrative beaver trade lured trappers to Colorado’s mountains and decimated the beaver population in the early 1800s. —Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025

In 2018, as California was laying the groundwork to build a new 911 system for the state, a massive fire ripped through Butte County, decimating several Northern California communities and killing over 80 people. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 23 Nov. 2025

Incorporating the unincorporated area’s Deodar Cedar pinecones into their designs and resurrecting parts of the park that weren’t decimated, Disney teams have over the past several months being coordinating with county officials on the new Charles White Park. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Nov. 2025

Owámniyomni Okhódayapi says the restoration of the 8-acre area will improve wildlife habitats while honoring Dakota voices at a sacred site that was, over the years, decimated by settlers who built mills along the falls. —Aki Nace, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin decimatus, past participle of decimare, from decimus tenth, from decem ten

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for decimate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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Kids Definition

decimate

verb

dec·​i·​mate ˈdes-ə-ˌmāt 

decimated; decimating

1

: to pick by lot and kill every tenth man of

the Roman army would decimate a legion for cowardice

2

: to destroy a large part of

a population decimated by an epidemic

decimation

ˌdes-ə-ˈmā-shən 

noun