depopulate

/ˌdiːˈpɒpjuleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdiːˈpɑːpjuleɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)dē-ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt/ (ame, mw)

depopulate — verb

  • depopulatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • depopulateshe / she / it
  • depopulatedpast simple
  • depopulating-ing form

1. to make a town, country, or other area lose many of its residents

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to make a town, country, or other area lose many of its residents

例句

Years of drought depopulated the farming valley around Lake Chad.

depopulate + place

The civil war depopulated several border towns within two summers.

common causes: war or conflict

同義詞
  • empty

    Stronger and more everyday, often suggesting that almost nobody remains.

  • evacuate

    Focuses on moving people out, often for safety and sometimes temporarily.

  • deplete

    Broader and can describe reducing numbers or supplies, not only residents.

反義詞
  • populate

    Means to fill a place with people living there.

  • repopulate

    Means to bring residents back after numbers have fallen.

文法句型

depopulate + place

用法筆記

Usually used in formal writing about war, disease, famine, or forced removal. The object is the place that loses residents, not the people who leave.

常見錯誤

❌The war depopulated many families from the village.
✅The war depopulated the village.
💡Depopulate takes the place as its object, not the people who leave.