Deplete v. Evacuate
2022-09-03
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between the words "deplete" and "evacuate."
2Dear Learning English,
3I am Mehran from Iran, Tehran.
4I'm interested in your program and I'm improving my English from VOA learning English.
5I have a question:
6What the difference is between "deplete" and "evacuate?"
7Best regards,
8Mehran
9Dear Mehran,
10Thank you for asking about these two terms.
11"Deplete" and "evacuate" both suggest "to lessen or remove" something.
12However, there are big differences in the dictionary definitions of these words and their uses.
13Let us start with "deplete."
14"Deplete" is a verb that takes a direct object.
15It means to lessen, reduce, or use up something over time.
16We commonly use "deplete" with nouns like "strength," "energy," "resources," "money," or "funds."
17Jack depleted his college fund a year before graduation.
18This sentence means that Jack used up most or all of the money in his college fund before he graduated.
19Natural resources like oil and coal will become depleted, so we must find other energy sources.
20This means that natural resources will run out after an amount of time.
21The nurse's 16-hour shift depleted all of her energy.
22She was so tired by the time she returned home.
23This means that she had no more energy left.
24Let us move on to "evacuate"
25"Evacuate" is also a verb that takes a direct object.
26It usually means to remove people from an area because it is dangerous.
27The word is often linked with the idea of an emergency.
28When we use the term "evacuate," there is a sense of quickness or urgency.
29In everyday speech, this is the most common way that we use "evacuate."
30When the fire alarm goes off, people must evacuate the building.
31This means people must leave the building if they hear the alarm, whether there is a fire or not.
32"Evacuate" can also mean to make or leave empty or sometimes in the case of a body, it can mean to discharge.
33We had to evacuate all the furniture in the house to clean the floors.
34The doctor evacuated rocks and dirt from the open cut on her knee.
35These two words might seem similar in meaning, but they are very different.
36You can think of "deplete" as "using up or lessening over time."
37For "evacuate," you can think of "removing very quickly" because of an emergency.
38Please let us know if these examples and explanations have helped you, Mehran!
39What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
40And that's Ask a Teacher.
41I'm John Russell.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between the words "deplete" and "evacuate." 2Question: 3Dear Learning English, 4I am Mehran from Iran, Tehran. I'm interested in your program and I'm improving my English from VOA learning English. 5I have a question: 6What the difference is between "deplete" and "evacuate?" 7Best regards, 8Mehran 9Answer: 10Dear Mehran, 11Thank you for asking about these two terms. 12"Deplete" and "evacuate" both suggest "to lessen or remove" something. However, there are big differences in the dictionary definitions of these words and their uses. 13Let us start with "deplete." 14Deplete 15"Deplete" is a verb that takes a direct object. It means to lessen, reduce, or use up something over time. 16We commonly use "deplete" with nouns like "strength," "energy," "resources," "money," or "funds." 17Jack depleted his college fund a year before graduation. 18This sentence means that Jack used up most or all of the money in his college fund before he graduated. 19Natural resources like oil and coal will become depleted, so we must find other energy sources. 20This means that natural resources will run out after an amount of time. 21The nurse's 16-hour shift depleted all of her energy. She was so tired by the time she returned home. 22This means that she had no more energy left. 23Let us move on to "evacuate" 24Evacuate 25"Evacuate" is also a verb that takes a direct object. It usually means to remove people from an area because it is dangerous. 26The word is often linked with the idea of an emergency. When we use the term "evacuate," there is a sense of quickness or urgency. 27In everyday speech, this is the most common way that we use "evacuate." 28When the fire alarm goes off, people must evacuate the building. 29This means people must leave the building if they hear the alarm, whether there is a fire or not. 30"Evacuate" can also mean to make or leave empty or sometimes in the case of a body, it can mean to discharge. 31We had to evacuate all the furniture in the house to clean the floors. 32The doctor evacuated rocks and dirt from the open cut on her knee. 33Summary 34These two words might seem similar in meaning, but they are very different. You can think of "deplete" as "using up or lessening over time." For "evacuate," you can think of "removing very quickly" because of an emergency. 35Please let us know if these examples and explanations have helped you, Mehran! 36What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 37And that's Ask a Teacher. 38I'm John Russell. 39Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 40_____________________________________________________________________ 41Words in This Story 42fund - n. a sum of money for a special purpose 43shift - n. the scheduled period of time during which a person works 44urgency - n. something that needs immediate attention 45alarm - n. a signal (such as a loud noise or flashing light) that warns or alerts 46furniture - n. chairs, tables, beds, and other objects that are used to make a room ready for use