decimated

adjective

dec·​i·​mat·​ed ˈde-sə-ˌmā-təd 

1

: drastically reduced especially in number

… the decimated population of Atlantic salmon that once gamboled in dozens of rivers in the northeastern United States …

—Pete Bodo

A denuded forest may one day regrow; the decimated culture that called it home sadly will not.

—Stephen Messenger

2

: destroyed or significantly harmed

… its dusty streets, scattered with burned out vehicles and flanked on either side by decimated buildings.

—Jay Akbar

Many workers may want to delay retirement to replenish decimated 401(k) portfolios …

—Emily Brandon

Can we take as governor a man who'd give $46 million in public money to a bottling lobby, instead of using it to salvage decimated public programs?

—David Nyhan

see also decimate

Examples of decimated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But brief blasts of rain could cause flash flooding that would loosen soil and debris on charred hillsides, sending it tumbling toward decimated neighborhoods. —Karina Tsui, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025

Beyond were the ash and rubble of decimated neighborhoods. —Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Jan. 2025

Advertisement California Crews make progress as victims demand to get back into decimated neighborhoods Jan. 15, 2025 Lumber is the single biggest component of homebuilding materials, accounting for about 15% of overall home construction costs. —Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025

Deadly wildfires in the Los Angeles area have sent tens of thousands scrambling for safety and decimated neighborhoods. —Adrian Lam, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1