decimate

verb

dec·i·mate ˈde-sə-ˌmāt

decimated; decimating

Synonyms of decimate next

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.

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

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The county, which relies heavily upon an agriculture industry whose workforce could be decimated under Trump’s deportation plans, has long struggled with poverty and unemployment. —

Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024 The finding showed Chinese exports have continued to power the $18 trillion economy’s uneven recovery, although U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs that could decimate trade between the countries. —

Bloomberg, Fortune Asia, 2 Dec. 2024 One volcanic eruption can decimate entire landscapes in a blaze of molten rock, ash and toxic gases. —

Scott Travers, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024 The intersectionality that brought together those most worried about how Trump might undermine women’s rights, enact a potential Muslim ban, or decimate America’s global standing has never looked so thin. —

Philip Elliott, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decimate