decrepit

adjective

de·​crep·​it di-ˈkre-pət 

1

: wasted and weakened by or as if by the infirmities of old age

a decrepit old man

2

a

: impaired by use or wear : worn-out

a decrepit school bus

b

: fallen into ruin or disrepair

a decrepit industry

3

: dilapidated, run-down

an old, decrepit hotel

decrepitly adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for decrepit

weak, feeble, frail, fragile, infirm, decrepit mean not strong enough to endure strain, pressure, or strenuous effort.

weak applies to deficiency or inferiority in strength or power of any sort.

felt weak after the surgery

feeble suggests extreme weakness inviting pity or contempt.

a feeble attempt to walk

frail implies delicacy and slightness of constitution or structure.

a frail teenager unable to enjoy sports

fragile suggests frailty and brittleness unable to resist rough usage.

a reclusive poet too fragile for the rigors of this world

infirm suggests instability, unsoundness, and insecurity due to old age or disabling illness.

infirm residents requiring constant care

decrepit implies being worn-out or broken-down from long use or old age.

the dowager's decrepit retainers

Examples of decrepit in a Sentence

My decrepit car barely starts.

Recent Examples on the Web

The decrepit vampire is obsessed with Ellen Hutter (Depp), the wife of Thomas Hutter (Hoult), a real estate agent sent to Transylvania to find a new estate for Orlok. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

There, a young real-estate agent named Thomas Hutter (played by Nicholas Hoult) is dispatched by his boss, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), to a castle in Transylvania, to conclude the sale of a decrepit manor in Wisburg to the mysterious, reclusive Count Orlok. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

The final scene in the movie is a shot of Depp curled next to a decrepit male figure like Pompeiian victims, surrounded by flowers. —Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024

Upon meeting with his boss, the suspiciously jubilant Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), Thomas is tasked with traveling to a secluded castle in the Carpathian Mountains to obtain a Transylvanian nobleman's signature for the purchase of a decrepit Wisborg mansion. —Megan McCluskey, TIME, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin decrepitus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

decrepit

adjective

de·​crep·​it di-ˈkrep-ət 

: broken down with age : worn-out