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“decimate”
decimate (verb), decimates; decimated; decimating
1. To drastically reduce the number of people or of things: Health experts say that smoking has decimated the lives of many people with lung cancer.
3. To severely damage or to destroy a large part of something: Throughout history, many people have been decimated as a result of wars.
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The lack of rain can decimate many agricultural products of farmers.
2. To cause extensive harm or damage: The more elderly people become older, the more they decimate their physical and mental conditions.3. To severely damage or to destroy a large part of something: Throughout history, many people have been decimated as a result of wars.
There are some linguists who argue that decimate should refer to people and not to things or animals; such as, weeds or insects.
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This entry is located in the following unit:
decem-, decim-, deci-, dec-
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decimate, demolish, destroy
decimate (DES uh mayt") (verb)
1. To eliminate or to get rid of a large number of plants, animals, people, etc.: If we do not get rain soon, it will decimate the farm crops in this area.
2. To severely damage or destroy a large part of something: The government's budget cuts will decimate public services in many small towns.
2. To severely damage or destroy a large part of something: The government's budget cuts will decimate public services in many small towns.
demolish (di MAHL ish) (verb)
1. To eliminate credibility: The gossip in the office threatened to demolish the reputation of the manager.
2. To break up into pieces or to tear down: The construction company used large equipment to demolish the abandoned building.
2. To break up into pieces or to tear down: The construction company used large equipment to demolish the abandoned building.
The contractors will demolish the old factory to make way for a new parking lot and a large quantity of explosives will be used to demolish it.
destroy (di STROI) (verb)
To spoil or ruin the condition of an object: Flooding in the basement will destroy the furniture that is stored there.
Olivia plans to demolish the old shed in the back. She knows it will destroy the home of a colony of raccoons; in fact, it will actually decimate their numbers in the neighborhood.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group D; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
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