deplete
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to use up (supplies, money, energy, etc); reduce or exhaust
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to empty entirely or partially
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med to empty or reduce the fluid contents of (an organ or vessel)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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depletionnoun
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nondepletionnoun
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predepletionnoun
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predepleteverb (used with object)
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depletableadjective
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depletiveadjective
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depletoryadjective
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nondepletableadjective
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nondepletiveadjective
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nondepletoryadjective
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undepletedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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depletesimple
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depletessimple
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have depletedperfect
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has depletedperfect
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am depletingprogressive
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are depletingprogressive
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is depletingprogressive
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have been depletingperfect progressive
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has been depletingperfect progressive
Past
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depletedsimple
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had depletedperfect
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was depletingprogressive
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were depletingprogressive
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had been depletingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deplete
1800–10; < Latin dēplētus empty (past participle of dēplēre to empty out), equivalent to dē- de- + plē ( re ) to fill + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
To deplete is to use up or consume a limited resource. Visiting relatives might deplete your refrigerator of food, or a pestering friend might deplete your patience. The verb deplete is used like “to drain.” A long, exhausting day can deplete your body of energy and a summer drought can deplete a region’s water supply. If you deplete your body of hydration after a lot of exercise, be sure to replete yourself with a nice glass of water.
Vocabulary lists containing deplete
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
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Gene Wilder (1933-2016) Tribute List
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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.
See Examples For:
If approved by shareholders, the deal would be the latest in a line of acquisitions to deplete the number of listed businesses on the London Stock Exchange.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
High costs of advanced AI models like Fable 5 can quickly deplete developer budgets, driving demand for efficient infrastructure.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
If it gets into rivers it can be very damaging - causing algal blooms which block sunlight and deplete the water of oxygen, affecting wildlife.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Demand will likely increase as stores deplete, but the appetite for cocoa may wane if substitutes or lab-grown beans gain traction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
And wind and solar require almost no water to operate and thus do not pollute water resources or further deplete the water supply by competing with agriculture, drinking water systems, or other water needs.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
"Dry weather depletes our water, and hot weather means we use more of it," they added.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
The caregiving burden this puts on younger generations results in a quiet shadow job, experts say — one that gets absorbed into their lives and depletes them physically, mentally and financially.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
The leak also depletes the source for a chemical reaction, which is generating heat that, in turn, accelerates the reaction in a process called “thermal runaway.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
Defense contractors like RTX have come into focus as the conflict in Iran depletes the U.S.’s missile stockpile, and as hostilities raise defense budgets around the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
“Jonas can see beyond, Gabe. He can see to another place. But he has to work very hard at it. It depletes him.”
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
If the world’s inventory buffers were depleted, $120 is a price that could trigger enough demand destruction to put global supply and demand back in balance, Merritt Point’s Baird said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Latino entrepreneurs who participated in focus groups and surveys described fewer customers, reduced operating hours, canceled orders, staffing disruptions, depleted savings and accumulated debt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Because metal sulfide minerals dug up during mining can take hundreds to thousands of years to fully react with surface water, they will keep generating emissions long after a mine's reserves are depleted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
In June, groundwater levels were generally at or just below normal, having been topped up by winter rainfall but depleted by a drier spring in most regions.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
The alliance seemed to have a reasonable chance of succeeding, but eighteen months of warfare severely depleted Indigenous villages and agricultural resources.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The weather pattern often brings drought, depleting the lake that feeds the canal’s system of locks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
One is the new 'overtake' mode, the other is the way the 2026 engines work, almost completely depleting and recharging batteries several times a lap.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Even more daunting with IUL is that if you borrow against the policy or don’t keep feeding the premiums, you can end up depleting the death benefit and the cash value.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
There’s dread about depleting global oil supplies and hopes around a deal to end the Iran war.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
Her wellsprings of magic depleting by the second.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
