as in disrepair
formal
the state of being old and in bad condition or poor health
The house has fallen into decrepitude. She was saddened by the decrepitude of many of the nursing home residents.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of decrepitude
Half a century later Mikhailov repurposed those methods to thumb his nose at the decrepitude and deceit of a sclerotic regime.
—
Max Norman, The New York Review of Books, 22 Feb. 2025
Recent experience, including Mauricio Macri’s 2015-2019 Presidency, when Caputo and Federico Sturzenegger were also in charge of the nation’s economic levers, ended up with jarring devaluations that initiated a new and deeper descent into economic decrepitude.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
If that’s not enough for perennial contention, then the rest of the AFC East’s decrepitude will keep that window wide open.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Any rescue from the muck rests with ordinary citizens taking city and state government back from the politicians serving special interests rather than their own; and shunting aside the go-along-to-get-along business and civic elites settling for decrepitude.
—Forrest Claypool, Chicago Tribune, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for decrepitude
Max Norman, The New York Review of Books, 22 Feb. 2025
Recent experience, including Mauricio Macri’s 2015-2019 Presidency, when Caputo and Federico Sturzenegger were also in charge of the nation’s economic levers, ended up with jarring devaluations that initiated a new and deeper descent into economic decrepitude.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
If that’s not enough for perennial contention, then the rest of the AFC East’s decrepitude will keep that window wide open.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Any rescue from the muck rests with ordinary citizens taking city and state government back from the politicians serving special interests rather than their own; and shunting aside the go-along-to-get-along business and civic elites settling for decrepitude.
—Forrest Claypool, Chicago Tribune, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for decrepitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decrepitude
Noun
-
Dozens of older homes, most built during the area’s postwar building boom, were in a state of shocking disrepair.—
Zac Taylor,
The Conversation,
9 June 2026
-
Road accidents are common in Iraq, where decades of conflict, corruption and underinvestment have left much of the country’s infrastructure in disrepair.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Your local climate dictates specific maintenance needs, such as checking for rust in coastal areas or rubber decay in hot regions.—
Danny Smith,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
Enamel erosion makes teeth more susceptible to sensitivity, staining, and decay.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
As Kasubhai observed, despite its legal feebleness, Kennedy’s declaration and its explicit threat has had a concrete impact on the provision of gender-affirming services to American youths.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Signs of disease include warts on legs, crusty or swollen eyes, feebleness, a ruffled appearance, difficulty breathing, nasal discharge, and diarrhea.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And, when pets suffered from cancer or heart failure or debility, conversations about what to do next were emotional but often straightforward.—
Sunita Puri,
New Yorker,
6 June 2026
-
His trajectory is one of softening, from the swaggering knight of the opening to the irrepressible lover of the second act to his final physical debility.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decrepitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decrepitude. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
