decimate的意思|示意

Decimate (verb), derived from Latin decimare meaning \"to take one tenth,\" can be defined as to vastly reduce or destroy a large part of something. It is often used to describe violent and destructive events, either caused by natural disasters or by human actions.

1、毁灭程度：

Decimate is often used to refer to a massive destruction of a portion of something, often due to some kind of disaster. For example, \"The hurricane decimated the coast line, destroying hundreds of homes.\" The use of decimate indicates that a great majority of something has been destroyed or significantly damaged.

2、数量上的损失：

Decimate is also used to describe a large loss of something in terms of quantity. For example, \"The company was decimated by layoffs, with nearly a third of its workforce laid off.\" This indicates that a large portion of the company's workforce has been eliminated. Even if the individual loss of each laid off person is not significant, the cumulative loss of many people is still considered decimating.

3、指代惩罚：

Decimate is also used in a figurative sense to refer to punishments or punishments that have been imposed on a group of people. For example, \"The government decimated the rebel forces, imprisoning the leaders and dispersing the rest of the troops.\" This sentence indicates that the government has dealt with the rebel forces in a harsh manner.

In summary, decimate is often used to describe a drastic reduction or destruction of something, whether it be due to a natural disaster or due to human actions. It is often used to refer to a large loss in terms of quantity, or a figurative punishment imposed on a group of people.