disrepair

noun

dis·​re·​pair ˌdis-ri-ˈper 

: the state of being in need of repair

a building fallen into disrepair

Synonyms of disrepair

• neglect
• dilapidation
• deterioration
• abandonment

Examples of disrepair in a Sentence

The lighthouse was in disrepair until the volunteers cleaned it up.

After years of neglect, the house fell into disrepair.

Recent Examples on the Web

Wrexham were in a stage of stagnation at the time and the Racecourse Ground, as it was known in those days, in a state of disrepair. —Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026

After her death, the church fell into disrepair. —Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026

Now hailed as one of the nation’s first true boutique hotels, the San José started life as a motor court and became a 1950s roadside motel before falling into disrepair in a bad part of town. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026

Paramount and Netflix were locked in a months-long heated bidding war over WBD, which had fallen into financial disrepair. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disrepair

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware
• legionnaire

Kids Definition

disrepair

noun

dis·​re·​pair ˌdis-ri-ˈpa(ə)r 

-ˈpe(ə)r

: the condition of needing repair