depleting

USAGE SUMMARY

"depleting" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to mean "to diminish or use up a supply or resource". For example, "The rapid industrialization of the region has resulted in the depleting of the natural resources."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

51 human-written examples

"If you believe that persisting in tough tasks is energising rather than depleting," he writes, "will it protect you from will fatigue?

The Guardian - Lifestyle

This century is the end of the age of fossil fuels and it doesn't matter which way you look at it, even if you look at it from an optimistic perspective, you're still looking at declining and depleting during the first quarter of this century.

The Guardian

It is helping farmers use water more efficiently: in Rajasthan, in northern India, it is working with wheat farmers who have been depleting their aquifer to reduce water use by a quarter, to ensure it still has water to brew beer.

The Economist

Others are fallowing farmland, or digging deeper to tap brackish groundwater, further depleting aquifers.On January 17th Governor Jerry Brown urged Californians to cut water use by 20% and issued a drought declaration, which loosens the rules restricting in-state water transfers.

The Economist

In the 1600s British merchants rejected "bullionist" arguments that the import of luxury goods weakened the economy by depleting gold reserves.

The Economist

But that would consume oxygen as well as methane, depleting Mars's atmosphere of the stuff in a few thousand years—something that, evidently, has not happened.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

9 human-written examples

CFCs are greenhouse, as well as ozone-depleting, gases.

The Economist

Packing them all up together gives the Kyoto protocol an elegant framework which in theory should solve the problem with a single set of numbers the national caps that are designed to cut the whole range of greenhouse gases.Critics point out that the Kyoto protocol has achieved a great deal less than the Montreal protocol, which was designed to prevent the use of ozone-depleting CFCs.

The Economist

By trying to include all the greenhouse gases in a single agreement, it has been less successful than the less ambitious Montreal protocol, which cut ozone-depleting gases fast and cheaply.

The Economist

The study found that the amounts of ozone-depleting substances in the stratosphere (the location of the ozone layer) were declining after having peaked in the 1990s.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It is also a much greener technology because it eliminates environmentally harmful ozone-depleting and greenhouse gases used in current gas-compression cooling technology.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "depleting", ensure the context clearly identifies what is being depleted and the consequences of its depletion. This adds clarity and impact to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "depleting" vaguely. Always specify what resource, supply, or quality is being reduced. For example, instead of "The situation is depleting", specify "The situation is depleting our financial resources."

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "depleting" is that of a present participle, often functioning as part of a continuous verb tense or as an adjective modifying a noun. As Ludwig AI confirms, it signifies an ongoing action of reducing or exhausting something. Examples from Ludwig show its usage across diverse contexts, like "depleting aquifers" or "depleting resources."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Encyclopedias

13%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "depleting" functions as a present participle, indicating an ongoing process of reduction or exhaustion. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and widely applicable across diverse domains. Predominantly found in News & Media and Encyclopedia sources, it carries a neutral register, making it suitable for both formal and informal contexts. To enhance clarity in writing, specify what exactly is "depleting" to avoid vagueness. Furthermore, alternative terms like "exhausting" or "diminishing" can add nuance. Remember, effective communication hinges on precise language, and "depleting" is no exception.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exhausting

Emphasizes complete consumption or using up entirely.

diminishing

Focuses on the gradual reduction in size, amount, or intensity.

consuming

Highlights the act of using something up, often completely.

draining

Suggests the removal of something, often with a negative impact.

using up

A more informal way of saying consuming or exhausting.

reducing

Indicates a decrease in quantity or size.

lessening

Similar to reducing, but often implies a smaller degree of reduction.

shrinking

Implies a reduction in size or scope.

eating away at

Suggests a gradual and destructive consumption.

saping

Focuses on gradually weakening or diminishing vitality or resources.

FAQs

How is "depleting" typically used in a sentence?

The word "depleting" is commonly used as a verb in its present participle form, often describing the action of reducing or exhausting a resource over time. For example, "The continuous farming is "depleting" the soil's nutrients."

What are some alternatives to using "depleting"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "exhausting", "diminishing", or "consuming" to convey a similar meaning to "depleting".

Is it correct to say something is "being depleted"?

Yes, saying something is "being depleted" is grammatically correct. It indicates that a resource or supply is in the process of being reduced or exhausted by some action or process.

What's the difference between "depleting" and "depletion"?

"Depleting" is the present participle of the verb 'deplete,' indicating an ongoing action of using up something. "Depletion", on the other hand, is a noun that refers to the state of being depleted or the act of depleting something. For instance, "Depleting resources leads to resource depletion".