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
Instead, Israel has decimated Hamas and turned Hezbollah—previously Iran's greatest regional asset—into a chicken running around without its head.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Republicans are decimating jobs, Democrats are delivering jobs.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 2 Nov. 2024
From a tactical perspective, Israel pulled off a stunning feat: The four-decades-old Lebanese group was the most powerful nonstate military actor in the world, and Israel decimated its top three tiers of leadership, severely weakening it and throwing it into disarray.
—Kim Ghattas, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2024
The music has been reduced to a soundtrack to countrywide gang violence that’s decimating a generation of Black and Brown youth.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2024
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Republicans are decimating jobs, Democrats are delivering jobs.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 2 Nov. 2024
From a tactical perspective, Israel pulled off a stunning feat: The four-decades-old Lebanese group was the most powerful nonstate military actor in the world, and Israel decimated its top three tiers of leadership, severely weakening it and throwing it into disarray.
—Kim Ghattas, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2024
The music has been reduced to a soundtrack to countrywide gang violence that’s decimating a generation of Black and Brown youth.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decimate
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Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate. Accessed 22 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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