Deplete
To use up the supply of something; to exhaust; to empty out.
verbDeplete
To use up the supply of something; to exhaust; to empty out.
verbImagine This
Imagine a car’s fuel tank on a long trip: every mile uses fuel, and as you drive farther the tank empties until you must refuel.
Sounds Like
dih-PLEET
Looks Like
Looks like 'complete' with a de- prefix; shares the -plete root
Remember This
The ozone layer is depleted by ozone-depleting substances (like CFCs). International agreements such as the Montreal Protocol aim to reduce depletion. Depletion is commonly discussed with natural resources, energy, and inventory.
Other Forms
Connect With
exhaust, drain, diminish, consume, depletion
Note
Deplete is transitive: you deplete something (you drain or exhaust its supply). Do not use 'deplete of'—use 'deplete X' or 'deplete X of Y' correctly. Remember the related noun 'depletion' and the opposite verbs 'replenish' or 'restore'.
Study Deeper
- The drought depleted the reservoir's water supply.
- Overfishing depleted the lake's fish stocks.
From Latin de- 'down, away' + plere 'to fill' (via Old French dépleter), giving the sense of removing the filling or content; related to 'replete' (full) and 'complete'.
Mnemonic: De- + plete means remove the fill. Picture a full container whose contents are drained away; the more you deplete it, the emptier it becomes.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Diminish
verbTo become smaller in size, amount, importance, or intensity; to reduce.
Abandon
verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
Abate
verbTo decrease in amount or intensity; to reduce or end something.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Abridge
verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.
Abscond
verbTo depart secretly or flee, especially to avoid detection or arrest.