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
Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Smith said the projects reflect the next stage of Pearl, about 25 years after Goldsbury acquired the dilapidated brewery and began redeveloping it.
—Madison Iszler, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Apr. 2026
The city announced the move to the East Village in March, as part of the plan to close the dilapidated and sometimes violence-prone 30th Street center.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Its dilapidated state and lack of funding — just $25,000 was budgeted for programming by the city last year — prevents the facility from offering a full slate of services for residents.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 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 28 Apr. 2026.
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