# deplete

/dɪˈpɫit/ (US) · /dɪplˈiːt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/deplete
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

to use up most or all of something so little is left. You use it for things like money, energy, or natural resources.

For teachers: to reduce the stock or contents of something through use or removal, often to exhaustion.

## Examples

- We must not deplete our savings in one month.
- Farmers rotate crops to avoid depleting nutrients in the soil.
- Decades of overfishing continue to deplete tuna stocks faster than marine reserves can replenish them.

## Synonyms

exhaust, Drain

## Antonyms

replenish, refill

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.

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