decimation

• 指大规模毁灭或屠杀，使人口或群体被消灭很大一部分。历史上源自罗马军队中抽签处死每十人中一人的惩罚。

A noun referring to the act of destroying or killing a large portion of a population, historically derived from the practice of executing every tenth person chosen by lot.

不可数

1. Large-scale destructionC1formal

   The act of destroying or killing a large portion of a group, historically referring to the punishment of killing one in every ten soldiers.

   大规模毁灭

   • The plague caused the decimation of the village population.
   • Historians describe the decimation of the Roman legion as a brutal punishment.
   • The war led to the decimation of entire communities.

   同义词annihilationcarnagedemolitiondevastationeradicationexterminationhavocmassacre

2. Severe reductionC1formal

   A drastic reduction in numbers or amount, often used metaphorically.

   大幅削减

   • The budget cuts resulted in the decimation of the arts program.
   • The hurricane caused the decimation of the local wildlife.
   • The company faced the decimation of its workforce after the merger.

   同义词annihilationattritiondepletiondestructiondevastationreduction

   反义词augmentationexpansiongrowthincreasemultiplication