deplete
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de·plete
(dĭ-plēt′)tr.v. de·plet·ed, de·plet·ing, de·pletes
1. To consume or reduce to a very low amount; use up: drought that depleted the stores of grain.
2. To remove the contents or important elements of; empty out or exhaust: overfishing that depleted the lake of trout; farming practices that depleted the soil of nutrients.
de·plet′a·ble adj.
Synonyms: deplete, drain, exhaust, sap1
These verbs mean to use up something important that is hard to replace. Deplete refers to gradually consuming something essential: Medical bills quickly depleted our savings. To drain is to draw down a resource or supply to a critical level: War often drains a nation's economy. Exhaust stresses depletion to a point of emptiness or uselessness: "The Depression had exhausted the capacity of private charities and state and local governments to cope with the needs of millions of unemployed Americans" (Patrick Maney).
Sap suggests a slow loss of something vital: "The [ivory] trade certainly sapped labor from farming and disrupted village life" (Eric Scigliano).
These verbs mean to use up something important that is hard to replace. Deplete refers to gradually consuming something essential: Medical bills quickly depleted our savings. To drain is to draw down a resource or supply to a critical level: War often drains a nation's economy. Exhaust stresses depletion to a point of emptiness or uselessness: "The Depression had exhausted the capacity of private charities and state and local governments to cope with the needs of millions of unemployed Americans" (Patrick Maney).
Sap suggests a slow loss of something vital: "The [ivory] trade certainly sapped labor from farming and disrupted village life" (Eric Scigliano).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
deplete
(dɪˈpliːt)vb (tr)
1. to use up (supplies, money, energy, etc); reduce or exhaust
2. to empty entirely or partially
3. (Medicine) med to empty or reduce the fluid contents of (an organ or vessel)
[C19: from Latin dēplēre to empty out, from de- + plēre to fill]
deˈpletable adj
deˈpletion n
deˈpletive, deˈpletory adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
de•plete
(dɪˈplit)v.t. -plet•ed, -plet•ing.
to decrease seriously or exhaust the abundance or supply of.
[1800–10; < Latin dēplētus empty, past participle of dēplēre to empty out]
de•ple′tion, n.
de•ple′tive, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
deplete
Past participle: depleted
Gerund: depleting
| Imperative |
|---|
| deplete |
| deplete |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | deplete - use up (resources or materials); "this car consumes a lot of gas"; "We exhausted our savings"; "They run through 20 bottles of wine a week" run out - exhaust the supply of; "We ran out of time just as the discussion was getting interesting" drain - deplete of resources; "The exercise class drains me of energy" spend - spend completely; "I spend my pocket money in two days" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
deplete
verb use up, reduce, drain, exhaust, consume, empty, decrease, evacuate, lessen, impoverish, expend substances that deplete the ozone layer
increase, raise, expand, add to, enhance, swell, step up (informal), augment
increase, raise, expand, add to, enhance, swell, step up (informal), augment
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
deplete
verb1. To lessen or weaken severely, as by removing something essential:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُفْرِغ، يَسْتَهْلِك، يَسْتَنْزِف
vyčerpatztenčit
opbrugereducere
kimerítkiürít
ganga á, eyîa
išeikvojimasišeikvotiišsekinimasišsekinti
izsmeltiztērēt
deplete
[dɪˈpliːt] VT (= reduce) → mermar; (= exhaust totally) → agotarstocks have been depleted by overfishing → la fauna marina se ha visto mermada debido a una actividad pesquera desmesurada
substances that deplete the ozone layer → sustancias que destruyen la capa de ozono
Lee's exhausted and depleted army → el ejército cansado y diezmado de Lee
that holiday rather depleted our savings → esas vacaciones mermaron or redujeron bastante nuestros ahorros
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
deplete
vt
(= exhaust) → erschöpfen; (= reduce) → vermindern, verringern; funds → verringern; certain substances deplete the ozone layer → bestimmte Stoffe bauen die Ozonschicht ab; our supplies are somewhat depleted → unsere Vorräte sind ziemlich erschöpft; the larder is rather depleted → die Speisekammer ist ziemlich leer; the audience had become somewhat depleted → die Zuschauerreihen hatten sich ziemlich gelichtet
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
deplete
(diˈpliːt) verb to make smaller in amount, number etc. Our supplies of food are rather depleted.
deˈpletion nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
deplete
v. agotar, vaciar; depauperarse.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
deplete
vt agotarEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.