decimated
adjective
dec·i·mat·ed
ˈde-sə-ˌmā-təd 
1
: drastically reduced especially in number
… the decimated population of Atlantic salmon that once gamboled in dozens of rivers in the northeastern United States …—
Pete Bodo
Pete BodoA denuded forest may one day regrow; the decimated culture that called it home sadly will not.—Stephen Messenger
Stephen Messenger2
: destroyed or significantly harmed
… its dusty streets, scattered with burned out vehicles and flanked on either side by decimated buildings.—Jay Akbar
Jay AkbarMany workers may want to delay retirement to replenish decimated 401(k) portfolios …—Emily Brandon
Emily BrandonCan we take as governor a man who'd give $46 million in public money to a bottling lobby, instead of using it to salvage decimated public programs?—David Nyhan
see also decimate
David NyhanExamples of decimated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Tennessee Highway Patrol released video of lightning illuminating the sky as troopers, Selmer police, sheriff’s deputies and firefighters scoured the rubble of a decimated home early Thursday morning, looking for anyone trapped.
—Adrian Sainz, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Patrick Somerville Deep in the peak of a variant spike in the pandemic, Max dropped its best original offering to date, a timely examination of the need for hope in a decimated world.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
The National Guard is being deployed as residents across the United States began to assess the fallout from dozens of tornadoes, wildfires, and dust storms that left at least 42 people dead and hundreds of decimated buildings in their wake over the weekend.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Live map California fire map: Track this fire live
For many residents, the return to Altadena meant a heartbreaking discovery of decimated homes and neighborhoods.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimated
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Adrian Sainz, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Patrick Somerville Deep in the peak of a variant spike in the pandemic, Max dropped its best original offering to date, a timely examination of the need for hope in a decimated world.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
The National Guard is being deployed as residents across the United States began to assess the fallout from dozens of tornadoes, wildfires, and dust storms that left at least 42 people dead and hundreds of decimated buildings in their wake over the weekend.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Live map California fire map: Track this fire live
For many residents, the return to Altadena meant a heartbreaking discovery of decimated homes and neighborhoods.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimated
Cite this Entry
“Decimated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimated. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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