deplete
verb
de·plete di-ˈplēt 
depleted; depleting; depletes
transitive verb
1
: to empty of a principal substance
The lake was depleted of water.
depleting the country of its natural resources
2
: to lessen markedly in quantity, content, power, or value
deplete our life savings
their depleted resources
depletable
di-ˈplē-tə-bəl
adjective depleter
di-ˈplē-tər
noun depletion
di-ˈplē-shən
noun depletive
di-ˈplē-tiv
adjective 
Did you know?
The de- prefix often means "do the opposite of", so deplete means the opposite of "fill". Thus, for example, a kitchen's food supplies can be rapidly depleted by hungry teenagers. But deplete often suggests something more serious. Desertions can deplete an army; layoffs can deplete an office staff; and too much time in bed can rapidly deplete your muscular strength.
Synonyms
- absorb
- burn
- consume
- devour
- drain
- draw down
- exhaust
- expend
- play out
- spend
- use up
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Activities such as logging and mining deplete our natural resources. We completely depleted our life savings when we bought our new house.
Recent Examples on the Web Despite the fact that attrition would pretty quickly deplete those numbers, any, any expense that needs to be sustained at that high level with payrolls and training. 
Laura Johnston, cleveland, 6 June 2022 Dust storms also damage crops and deplete fertile soil. Kasha Patel, Washington Post, 26 May 2022 Paying unemployment benefits during strikes would deplete the trust fund that’s been tapped during the pandemic and would stunt Connecticut’s slow-growth economy, Republican senators said. Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2022 Prematurely acquiring premiere talent would deplete the value of that pick, hindering the team's long term ceiling. Rahat Huq, Chron, 5 Sep. 2022 Once in the stratosphere, the researchers said, continued heating can cause changes in ozone through changes in atmospheric circulation, and chemical reactions on the surface of the smoke particles can deplete the ozone layer. Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 While fossil fuels are a finite resource that grow scarce and more difficult to extract over time, increasing costs, wind and solar installations, although still dependent on mineral extraction, don’t deplete in the same way. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Published in Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, their study found yet another route by which rocketry could deplete ozone and exacerbate climate change. Leonard David, Scientific American, 29 July 2022 Decades-high inflation is also feeding recession fears as consumers begin to deplete their pandemic-era savings, roiling markets and generating questions about how long the economic recovery can last. Julia Horowitz, CNN, 30 June 2022 See More
Laura Johnston, cleveland, 6 June 2022 Dust storms also damage crops and deplete fertile soil. Kasha Patel, Washington Post, 26 May 2022 Paying unemployment benefits during strikes would deplete the trust fund that’s been tapped during the pandemic and would stunt Connecticut’s slow-growth economy, Republican senators said. Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2022 Prematurely acquiring premiere talent would deplete the value of that pick, hindering the team's long term ceiling. Rahat Huq, Chron, 5 Sep. 2022 Once in the stratosphere, the researchers said, continued heating can cause changes in ozone through changes in atmospheric circulation, and chemical reactions on the surface of the smoke particles can deplete the ozone layer. Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 While fossil fuels are a finite resource that grow scarce and more difficult to extract over time, increasing costs, wind and solar installations, although still dependent on mineral extraction, don’t deplete in the same way. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Published in Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, their study found yet another route by which rocketry could deplete ozone and exacerbate climate change. Leonard David, Scientific American, 29 July 2022 Decades-high inflation is also feeding recession fears as consumers begin to deplete their pandemic-era savings, roiling markets and generating questions about how long the economic recovery can last. Julia Horowitz, CNN, 30 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin dēplētus, past participle of dēplēre "to drain, draw off, empty out," from dē- de- + plērē "to fill" — more at full entry 1
First Known Use
1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
deplete
verb
de·plete di-ˈplēt
depleted; depleting
: to reduce in amount by using up
The soil was depleted of minerals.
Medical Definition
deplete
transitive verb
de·plete di-ˈplēt
depleted; depleting
: to empty (as the blood vessels) of a principal substance
a body depleted by excessive blood loss
tissues depleted of vitamins
depletions
noun
as in decreases
the amount by which something is lessened the kind of catastrophic illness that can make a sizable depletion in a family's savings Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- decreases
- reductions
- declines
- dents
- drops
- shrinkages
- diminutions
- falls
- losses
- decrements
- diminishments
- depressions
- falloffs
- slumps
- abatements
- drop-offs
- subtractions
- step-downs
- downturns
- cutbacks
- deductions
- curtailments
- cuts
- retrenchments
- shortenings
- slips
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- increases
- gains
- increments
- additions
- enlargements
- accumulations
- supplements
- rises
- accruals
- upticks
- boosts
- raises
- accretions
- extensions
- upswings
- step-ups
- continuations
- upturns
- uptrends