decimate

verb

dec·i·mate ˈde-sə-ˌmāt

decimated; decimating

transitive verb

: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of

decimate a regiment

: to exact a tax of 10 percent from

poor as a decimated Cavalier

John Dryden

: to reduce drastically especially in number

cholera decimated the population

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

Jason Diamos

: to cause great destruction or harm to

firebombs decimated the city

an industry decimated by recession

decimation

ˌde-sə-ˈmā-shən

noun

Did you know?

The connection between decimate and the number ten harks back to a brutal practice of the army of ancient Rome. A unit that was guilty of a severe crime (such as mutiny) was punished by selecting and executing one-tenth of its soldiers, thereby scaring the remaining nine-tenths into obedience. The word comes from Latin decem, meaning "ten." Decimate strayed from its "tenth" meaning and nowadays refers to the act of destroying or hurting something in great numbers.

Example Sentences

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 And in Cullen’s case, this was 17 years before COVID-19 would decimate the already dwindling number of nurses.

Lindsay Lee Wallace, Time, 27 Oct. 2022 Such a view, if adopted by the court, could decimate the photography industry, replied Washington attorney Lisa S. Blatt, who represents celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith.

Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2022 Trapping them could potentially force a surrender, allow Ukraine to decimate them or force them to flee.

Daniel Michaels, WSJ, 3 Sep. 2022 The second range of options all relate to some sort of a kinetic response that the U.S. would carry out with, again, hopefully support from other allies to impose a heavy military cost, maybe even decimate the Russian army in Ukraine.

CBS News, 5 Oct. 2022 Fisch knows first-hand how injuries can decimate a depth chart at quarterback.

Michael Lev, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2022 This will decimate the pharma pricing model because that model relies on the U.S. paying more than everyone else.

WSJ, 18 Sep. 2022 The trees shed leaves in the fall so that the tree can retain water before chilling winter winds blow through and decimate its sources for hydration, according to Brown County State Park's FAQ.

Claire Rafford, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Sep. 2022 Unlike in early 2020, when terrified passengers canceled trips in droves, new variants dent but don’t decimate appetite for travel.

Alison Sider, WSJ, 7 Jan. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'decimate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.