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

Fun fact: The company is also part of a broader effort to replenish the decimated chestnut tree population within Northeastern forests via regenerative agroforestry farms. —Richard Collings, Axios, 25 Nov. 2024

Katherine Waterston steps up as a capable Ripley type who leads an increasingly decimated team through the paces, and Fassbender, in a dual performance as David and the kinder next-gen Walter, embodies both the promise and threat of artificial intelligence. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024

The governor and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency visited decimated parts of western North Carolina. —Steve Almasy, CNN, 30 Sep. 2024

The Braves are the Braves — division winners for six consecutive seasons — but this week presented a chance to beat a decimated team. —Matt Gelb, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1