1. (v. t.) To destroy a considerable part of; as, to decimate an army in battle; to decimate a people by disease\.

2. (v. t.) To take the tenth part of; to tithe.

3. (v. t.) To select by lot and punish with death every tenth man of; as, to decimate a regiment as a punishment for mutiny.

annihilate bring to ruin butcher commit carnage commit genocide commit mass murder condemn confound consume damn deal destruction demolish depopulate depredate desolate despoil destroy devastate devour dissolve engorge exterminate gobble gobble up gut gut with fire havoc incinerate lay in ruins lay waste massacre murder wholesale ravage raze ruin ruinate shipwreck slaughter slay en masse swallow up throw into disorder unbuild undo unleash destruction unleash the hurricane unmake upheave vandalize vaporize waste wipe out wrack wreak havoc wreck