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
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
In the prison hospital, made up of dilapidated tents, 70 percent of the patients died.
—Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
The trip could also see China give the go-ahead for the UK to rebuild its dilapidated embassy in Beijing.
—Brendan Murray, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026
Shawnee residents could expect a new Fresh Market grocery store opening this summer after the City Council unanimously approved a six-month extension to complete a redevelopment project at a long-vacant, dilapidated site.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dilapidated
Cite this Entry
“Dilapidated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilapidated. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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