dilapidated

adjective

di·​lap·​i·​dat·​ed də-ˈla-pə-ˌdā-təd How to pronounce dilapidated (audio)
: 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.
Additionally, several existing dilapidated buildings on the site will be demolished and their concrete recycled and partly reused to realize the new structures. New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2025 Dayna is unemployed and newly single, and an out-of-the-blue opportunity to fix up a dilapidated mansion into an influencer house seems like her ticket to a new life. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025 Nearly two weeks after San Jose began dismantling its largest homeless encampment, the city is set to open its first-ever safe sleeping site, which will provide tents for dozens of the approximately 370 residents who have lived in dilapidated RVs and squalor at Columbus Park. Devan Patel, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025 There was a dilapidated beach bungalow on the site, which is about one and a half hours south of Melbourne. Mailin Sophie Zieser, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dilapidated

Word History

Etymology

see dilapidate

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dilapidated was in 1565

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Cite this Entry

“Dilapidated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilapidated. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on dilapidated

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