Synonyms

decimated

American

[des-uh-mey-tid] / ˈdɛs əˌmeɪ tɪd /

adjective

greatly reduced in number or amount, or having suffered great loss or harm.

The nonprofit agency has been struggling with a decimated staff and limited resources.
After the massive earthquake, the only way to reach the decimated villages was by helicopter.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of decimate.

Etymology

Origin of decimated

decimate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She has seen the bulk of the 2026 season decimated by a viral illness and this was only her second match back after more than two months away from tour action.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

“That a name evocative of Disneyland has been applied to a depopulated, decimated swath of Ukrainian coal-and-steel country could appear jarring as Europe’s deadliest fighting since World War II continues to rage,” they wrote.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

Like Andy, I started writing for newspapers a few years after Craigslist decimated the classified page.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Following the re-introduction of the sea eagle, the only other UK apex predator, Scottish farmers reported having to abandon their hill farms after the birds decimated their lamb populations.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Chief Opechancanough did mount one more large attack on the settlers, in 1644, but by then the European population had grown and the Indian population had been decimated.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023