dilapidate

verb

di·lap·i·date də-ˈla-pə-ˌdāt

dilapidated; dilapidating

Synonyms of dilapidate next

transitive verb

: to bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin

furniture is dilapidated by use—

Janet Flanner

archaic : squander

intransitive verb

: to decay, deteriorate, or fall into partial ruin especially through neglect or misuse : to become dilapidated

dilapidation

də-ˌla-pə-ˈdā-shən

noun

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The Origin of Dilapidate

Something that is dilapidated may not have been literally pummeled with stones, but it might look that way. Dilapidate derives from the past participle of the Latin verb dilapidare, meaning "to squander or destroy." That verb was formed by combining "dis-" with another verb, lapidare, meaning "to pelt with stones." From there it's just a stone's throw to some other English relatives of "dilapidate." You might, for example, notice a resemblance between "lapidare" and our word for a person who cuts or polishes precious stones, "lapidary." That's because both words share as a root the Latin noun lapis, meaning "stone." We also find "lapis" in the name "lapis lazuli," a bright blue semiprecious stone.

Examples of dilapidate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web By the 1980s, much of downtown was moribund; buildings that once thrummed with commerce were dilapidated and vacant or underused. —

Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2023 Only about 70 of the calvary camp’s original 700 buildings remain and are dilapidated ghostly shadows of their once important past. —

Diane Bell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2023 At the center of the woods, off Haven Beach Road, was a solitary and dilapidated Colonial homestead that burned to the ground. —

Bree Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2023 Hamdok found that the legacy of 30 years of dictatorship meant that Sudan’s political and economic models were dilapidated. —

Justin Lynch, CNN, 17 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for dilapidate

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dilapidate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.