deplete meaning

deplete means 'to use up all of something or reduce its amount'.

deplete :

to use up, to reduce

Verb

▪ The company will deplete its resources this year.

▪ The company will use up its resources this year.

▪ Overfishing can deplete the fish population.

▪ Too much fishing can reduce the number of fish.

paraphrasing

▪ drain – use up

▪ exhaust – use up

deplete

Pronunciation

deplete [dɪˈpliːt]

The stress is on 'plete' and sounds like 'di-pleet'.

Common phrases and grammar about deplete

deplete - Common meaning

Verb
to use up, to reduce

Part of Speech Changes for "deplete"

▪ depletion (noun) – the act of using up resources

▪ depleting (adjective) – using up resources

Common Expressions with "deplete"

▪ deplete resources – use up resources

▪ deplete energy – use up energy

▪ deplete supplies – use up supplies

▪ deplete the reserves – reduce the reserves

Important examples of deplete in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, deplete usually means to reduce the amount of something.

▪The excessive use will deplete our resources.
▪The excessive use will reduce our resources.

Example of a confusing word: delete (to remove)

▪The excessive use will delete our resources.
▪The excessive use will remove our resources.
"Deplete" means "to use up" or "reduce significantly," and it is correctly used in the context of diminishing resources. "Delete," however, means "to remove" or "erase," typically used with digital content or text. Saying "delete our resources" is grammatically incorrect and changes the meaning entirely, as resources cannot be "erased" like text. Therefore, "deplete" is the correct choice here.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Deplete is used as a verb and may appear in grammar questions requiring the correct verb form.

▪They deplete their resources every year.
▪They use up their resources every year.

deplete

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

deplete resources

'use up resources', used when discussing consumption of resources.

▪We need to manage to avoid depleting our resources.
▪We need to manage to avoid using up our resources.

run out of

means 'use all of something', used to indicate complete usage.

▪We might run out of supplies if we keep spending like this.
▪We might use all our supplies if we keep spending like this.

Differences between similar words and deplete

deplete

,

drain

differences

deplete means to use up completely, while drain often refers to removing liquid or exhausting gradually.

deplete
▪The company will deplete its resources this year.
▪The company will use up its resources this year.
drain
▪The water was drained from the pool.
▪The pool was emptied of water.

deplete

,

exhaust

differences

deplete means to use up completely, while exhaust often means to wear out or use up entirely.

deplete
▪They deplete their resources quickly.
▪The workers felt worn out after the long shift.
exhaust
▪The workers felt exhausted after the long shift.
▪The workers felt worn out after the long shift.

Words with the same origin as deplete

The origin of deplete

deplete comes from the Latin 'deplere', which means 'to use up or drain'.

Word structure

It has the prefix 'de' (meaning 'removal') and the root 'plete' (from 'plere', to fill), so deplete means 'to empty out'.

Words with the same origin

The root of deplete is 'plete' (to fill). Words with the same root include 'complete' – to finish filling, and 'duplicate' – to make two copies.

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