depleted; depleting; depletes
1
: to empty of a principal substance
The lake was depleted of water.
depleting the country of its natural resources
2
: to lessen markedly in quantity, content, power, or value
deplete our life savings
their depleted resources
Did you know?
The de- prefix often means "do the opposite of", so deplete means the opposite of "fill". Thus, for example, a kitchen's food supplies can be rapidly depleted by hungry teenagers. But deplete often suggests something more serious. Desertions can deplete an army; layoffs can deplete an office staff; and too much time in bed can rapidly deplete your muscular strength.
Examples of deplete in a Sentence
Activities such as logging and mining deplete our natural resources.
We completely depleted our life savings when we bought our new house.
Recent Examples on the Web
This imbalance—funding Putin’s war by depleting other sectors—has fueled inflation, worsened by ruble depreciation and import costs.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
In the months since, Hamas suffered several setbacks including Israel's 12-day war in Iran in June, which helped to deplete the militant group's supply of ammunition.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The report noted that the bay’s famous seagrass beds were undergoing a massive die-off, accompanied by algal blooms that depleted oxygen levels, thereby killing fish in large numbers.
—Jerome Lorenz, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
However, the analysis showed that compared to the ratios of different isotopes of sulfur on Earth, the moon seems to be depleted in sulfur-33 (meaning sulfur with 33 neutrons), which is one of the four stable sulfur isotopes (sulfur-32, sulfur-34 and sulfur-36 being the others).
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deplete
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Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
In the months since, Hamas suffered several setbacks including Israel's 12-day war in Iran in June, which helped to deplete the militant group's supply of ammunition.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The report noted that the bay’s famous seagrass beds were undergoing a massive die-off, accompanied by algal blooms that depleted oxygen levels, thereby killing fish in large numbers.
—Jerome Lorenz, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
However, the analysis showed that compared to the ratios of different isotopes of sulfur on Earth, the moon seems to be depleted in sulfur-33 (meaning sulfur with 33 neutrons), which is one of the four stable sulfur isotopes (sulfur-32, sulfur-34 and sulfur-36 being the others).
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deplete
Cite this Entry
“Deplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deplete. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deplete
verb
de·plete
di-ˈplēt 
depleted; depleting
: to reduce in amount by using up : exhaust especially of strength or resources
soil depleted of minerals
a depleted treasury
Medical Definition
deplete
transitive verb
de·plete
di-ˈplēt
depleted; depleting
: to empty (as the blood vessels) of a principal substance
a body depleted by excessive blood loss
tissues depleted of vitamins
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