decimate
verb
dec·i·mate
ˈde-sə-ˌmāt 
decimated; decimating
1
: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of
decimate a regiment
2
: to exact a tax of 10 percent from
poor as a decimated Cavalier—
John Dryden
John Dryden3
a
: 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
Jason Diamos
b
: to cause great destruction or harm to
firebombs decimated the city
an industry decimated by recession
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.
Synonyms
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
In his first administration, Trump temporarily decimated the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management by relocating its Washington headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2024
Their offensive line has been decimated along with Nacua and Cooper Kupp also being out for multiple weeks.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Customers like these are less likely to purchase or repurchase, so including them in your campaign targeting is likely burning up your ad spend and decimating your ROAS.
—Bernard May, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
The virus decimated nursing homes in the state, killing more than 15,000 people.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
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Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2024
Their offensive line has been decimated along with Nacua and Cooper Kupp also being out for multiple weeks.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Customers like these are less likely to purchase or repurchase, so including them in your campaign targeting is likely burning up your ad spend and decimating your ROAS.
—Bernard May, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
The virus decimated nursing homes in the state, killing more than 15,000 people.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decimate
Articles Related to decimate
Dictionary Entries Near decimate
Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decimate
verb
dec·i·mate
ˈdes-ə-ˌmāt
decimated; decimating
1
: to pick by lot and kill every tenth man of
the Roman army would decimate a legion for cowardice
2
: to destroy a large part of
a population decimated by an epidemic
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