What does deplete mean?
Deplete is a transitive verb meaning to use up or substantially reduce a supply of something, whether a natural resource, a financial reserve, physical energy, or a substance such as a nutrient. The word carries a formal, slightly technical tone and appears most often in discussions of environmental science, economics, medicine, and fitness: ozone layers are depleted, savings accounts are depleted, and athletes speak of glycogen stores being depleted after exertion. It is commonly found in the passive form — a lake, budget, or body may simply be described as "depleted." The verb derives from the Latin deplētus, meaning "emptied out," formed from plēre, "to fill" — the same root behind "plenty" and "complete," making deplete literally an act of un-filling. Its noun form is depletion, as in "ozone depletion." Because it implies serious reduction rather than casual consumption, deplete often signals concern or urgency, which helps explain its prominence in writing about sustainability and scarcity.
verbTo use up or reduce substantially the supply, amount, or quantity of something, especially a resource.
- To use up or greatly reduce a supply or resource (e.g., energy, funds, nutrients).
"Years of overfarming depleted the soil of its nutrients."
"The marathon left her completely physically depleted."
"Rising demand has severely depleted the region's groundwater supplies."
Deplete comes from the Latin for 'to empty out' — the same root that gives us 'plenty,' which is exactly what deplete leaves you without.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deplete
Deplete comes from the Latin verb dēplēre, meaning "to empty out," formed from the prefix dē- ("from, away") and plēre ("to fill"), the same root that yields "plenty," "complete," and "plenary." English adopted the word in the early seventeenth century, initially in contexts of draining or emptying, before its modern sense of exhausting supplies became dominant. Its direct English derivative is depletion, while its fuller cognates include plenty and complete.
Related word forms
How deplete is actually used
Formal to neutral register; common in scientific, environmental, medical, and economic contexts. Often used in the passive ("be depleted") and frequently modified by adverbs such as "severely," "badly," or "completely." Typically takes a resource or supply as its object rather than a person directly.
Easily confused with deplete
"Delete" means to remove written or recorded material entirely, while "deplete" means to use up or diminish a supply or resource.