Following the closure of the factory, the surrounding villages began to depopulate.
Source: tatoeba (12483992)
Depopulate
/diːˈpɒpjəleɪt/
Synonyms for "depopulate" (14 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: butcher, decimate, depopulating, desolate, desolated.
- Sentence evidence is available for depopulate, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, wordnet, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "depopulate".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "depopulate"
Keep "depopulate" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "depopulate" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "depopulate", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "depopulate" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
5 entriesCollocations
6 entriesdepopulate areadepopulate regiondepopulate towndepopulated villagedepopulation effortdepopulation rate
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesSample sentences
12 total sentences available.
Where is this viper That would depopulate the city and Be every man himself?
Source: wiktionary
So two young Mountain Lions, nurs’d with Blood In deep Recesses of the gloomy Wood, Rush fearless to the Plains, and uncontroul’d Depopulate the Stalls and waste the Fold;
Source: wiktionary
There are uſually reckoned twelve of theſe Iſlands ; but it will appear, from the chart of the North part of the Pacific Ocean hereafter inſerted, that if the ſmall iſlets and rocks are counted in, then their whole number will amount to above twenty. They were formerly moſt of them well inhabited ; and, even not ſixty years ago, the three principal Iſlands, Guam, Rota, and Tinian together, are ſaid to have contained above fifty thouſand people : But ſince that time Tinian hath been entirely depopulated ; and only two or three hundred Indians have been left at Rota, to cultivate rice for the Iſland of Guam ; ſo that now no more than Guam can properly be ſaid to be inhabited. This Iſland of Guam is the only ſettlement of the Spaniards ; here they keep a governor and garriſon, and here the Manila ſhip generally touches for refreſhment, in her paſſage from Acapulco to the Philippines.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "depopulate"?
Closest matches include butcher, decimate, depopulating, desolate, desolated.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "depopulate"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.