dilapidated

adjective

di·lap·i·dat·ed də-ˈla-pə-ˌdā-təd

Synonyms of dilapidated next

: decayed, deteriorated, or fallen into partial ruin especially through neglect or misuse

a dilapidated old house

Did you know?

Something that is dilapidated may not have been literally pummeled with stones, but it might look that way. Dilapidated derives (via the English verb dilapidate) from dilapidatus, the past participle of the Latin verb dilapidare ("to squander or destroy"). That verb was formed by combining dis-, meaning "apart," with the verb lapidare, meaning "to pelt with stones." Other English descendants of lapidare include the verb lapidate ("to pelt or kill with stones") and the noun lapidary, which is used to refer to a person who cuts or polishes precious stones. 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 dilapidated in a Sentence

a dilapidated car that had seen better days

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

So where does this leave buyers without a few million in cash to throw down on a dilapidated brownstone? —

Kim Velsey, Curbed, 23 Dec. 2024 By then, mice and cats had beat him to it, nesting into the corners of the Nora Store and in its dilapidated kitchen. —

Angela George, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024 Just in front sit a few dilapidated rows of seats, a good number vandalised and all doing battle with the weeds gradually creeping through the concrete steps. —

Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024 This small apartment on the eastern edge of Paris was so dilapidated that not long after moving in, its owner turned around and moved out. —

Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dilapidated