decimate

verb
UK: /ˈdesɪmeɪt/
US: /ˈdesɪmeɪt/

  1. To kill or destroy a large part of a group or area

    1. The disease could decimate the deer population quickly.
    2. The invading army threatened to decimate the city, leaving few buildings standing after.

  2. To severely reduce the size or number of something

    1. Budget cuts decimated the library's collection this year.
    2. High interest rates can decimate consumer spending and slow economic growth considerably.

Synonyms

annihilate devastate destroy obliterate ravage reduce

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "decimate" in English means: To kill or destroy a large part of a group or area, To severely reduce the size or number of something.

The phonetic transcription of "decimate" is /ˈdesɪmeɪt/ in British English and /ˈdesɪmeɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "decimate": annihilate, devastate, destroy, obliterate, ravage, reduce.

Example usage of "decimate": "The disease could decimate the deer population quickly.". More examples on the page.