Words / C1

DES-im-ayt/ˈdesɪmeɪt/

Decimate now usually means destroy a large part of something: disease decimated the colony. The old Roman sense was kill one in ten; pedants still mention it, but news English uses the “huge loss” sense. Destroy can be total; reduce is weaker. Do not write decimate for a 2% dip, and do not use it as a stylish synonym of annoy.

Meaning

To destroy a large part of something (now rarely the old “one in ten” sense).

Examples

• “Disease decimated the bee population that summer.”
• “The blight decimated the orchard; a few trees still stood.”
• “A policy can decimate a service without closing every office on day one.”

Good to know

Destroy a large part (modern use). Old sense: one in ten. Total: destroy. Not a tiny dip. Not “annoy”.

New