dilapidated
adjective
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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
Jennifer Sangalang, USA Today, 13 May 2025
The manager of a dilapidated building called the Workers’ Cultural Palace gives a speech about his plans for the space.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 May 2025
Deported from Florida to Cuba, this mom saw her 17-month-old US daughter – and her American dream – ripped away
03:01
Havana, Cuba CNN —
In a dilapidated home on the outskirts of Havana, Heidy Sánchez shows off photos from a past life.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
The South Lodge, at the base of the Quail chair, burned down in 2016 and in its place sits a row of dilapidated structures and storage sheds.
—Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dilapidated
Cite this Entry
“Dilapidated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilapidated. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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