Synonyms of deplete

deplete

verb

di-ˈplēt 

1

as in to drain

to make complete use of

miners depleted the vein of copper ore after only a few months

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drain
• consume
• spend
• exhaust
• reduce
• absorb
• burn
• use
• expend
• eat
• decrease
• devour
• diminish
• empty
• run out of
• use up
• draw down
• play out
• waste
• weaken
• dwindle
• lessen
• undermine
• impoverish
• debilitate
• downsize
• bankrupt
• cripple
• enfeeble
• abate
• sap
• clean (out)
• disable
• squander
• lower
• blow
• dry up
• dissipate
• de-escalate
• guzzle
• lavish
• misspend
• throw away
• run through
• fritter (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increase
• replace
• renew
• augment
• enforce
• enlarge
• strengthen
• reinforce
• restore
• preserve
• save
• rebuild
• revive
• conserve
• repair
• bolster
• fortify

2

as in to reduce

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent

disease and battlefield casualties had depleted troop strength to dangerously low levels

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reduce
• decrease
• diminish
• lower
• minimize
• lessen
• dwindle
• ease
• abate
• downsize
• dent
• cut
• slash
• drop
• compress
• knock down
• downscale
• shrink
• shorten
• curtail
• constrict
• de-escalate
• pare
• condense
• retrench
• truncate
• cut down
• whittle
• trim
• abridge
• modify
• prune
• cut back
• modulate
• abbreviate
• deflate
• dock
• crop
• contract
• nick
• clip
• qualify
• moderate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increase
• expand
• augment
• raise
• enlarge
• boost
• amplify
• escalate
• extend
• prolong
• inflate
• swell
• lengthen
• dilate
• supplement
• add (to)
• blow up
• enhance
• elongate
• complement
• aggrandize
• intensify
• distend
• heighten
• protract
• redouble

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deplete distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of deplete are bankrupt, drain, exhaust, and impoverish. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

When is bankrupt a more appropriate choice than deplete?

Although the words bankrupt and deplete have much in common, bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

When is it sensible to use drain instead of deplete?

The synonyms drain and deplete are sometimes interchangeable, but drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

When can exhaust be used instead of deplete?

In some situations, the words exhaust and deplete are roughly equivalent. However, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

In what contexts can impoverish take the place of deplete?

While in some cases nearly identical to deplete, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deplete

Much of Europe's manufacturing infrastructure had been depleted by years of warfare, and American factories across a wide spectrum of industries were operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 6 June 2026

In its last report, released in June 2025, the trustees projected that the fund would be depleted by 2034. —Jack Phillips, Baltimore Sun, 5 June 2026

Analysts have previously expressed concern that US stocks of the interceptors have been depleted by the Iran conflict as well as by last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, and noted that manufacturing more takes time. —Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 4 June 2026

This increase has caused household savings to deplete faster than the national average. —Ali Besharat, The Conversation, 4 June 2026