dilapidated

adjective

di·​lap·​i·​dat·​ed də-ˈla-pə-ˌdā-təd 

: 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.

Synonyms

• beat-up
• bombed-out
• dog-eared
• down-at-the-heels
• down-at-heel
• down-at-the-heel
• down-at-heels
• dumpy
• grungy
• mangy
• mean
• miserable
• moth-eaten
• neglected
• ratty
• run-down
• scrubby
• scruffy
• seedy
• shabby
• sleazy
• tacky
• tatterdemalion
• tatty
• threadbare
• timeworn
• tumbledown

Examples of dilapidated in a Sentence

a dilapidated car that had seen better days

Recent Examples on the Web

But Simon and Mallory, who have grown weary of Jared’s constant antics, are less optimistic about the move, especially after seeing the condition of their great-grandfather’s dilapidated estate. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024

Hotelier André Balazs subjected his acquisition to a facelift that erased much of its gritty and dilapidated charm. —Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see dilapidate

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

dilapidated

adjective

di·​lap·​i·​dat·​ed

də-ˈlap-ə-ˌdāt-əd

: partly ruined or decayed especially from age or lack of care

a dilapidated old house