derelict 1 of 2

adjective

ˈder-ə-ˌlikt How to pronounce derelict (audio)
Definition of derelictnext
1
as in neglectful
failing to give proper care and attention the guards were judged derelict in their duty

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2
as in disused
left unoccupied or unused purchased an old derelict mansion that was rumored to be haunted

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derelict

2 of 2

noun

as in bum
an idle worthless person a section of the city that seemed to be frequented mostly by derelicts

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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 derelict
Adjective
On the way back to the inn, in the fading yellow light, Tony gestured toward a modest wooden shed with a derelict fishing pier extending into the water. — Akash Kapur, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026 This is a neighborhood that has a lot of derelict and empty buildings. — Chris Willman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026 When Ken Fulk and Kurt Wootton purchased what would become Durham Ranch—named after one of their dogs—the California wine country property was in disrepair, with a derelict 1940s ranch house and a handful of rickety outbuildings. — Mark David, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2026 The biggest difference is that the old Kop terrace, which stood derelict for years, has finally been demolished, with a new stand now under construction. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for derelict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derelict
  1. neglectful
  2. disused
  3. bum
  4. careless
  5. deserted
  6. beggar
  7. lazy
  8. abandoned
Adjective
  • Still, Duncan on Friday argued that the move is a mistake that empowers neglectful landlords and fails tenants.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Played by Rhea Perlman alongside her real-life husband Danny DeVito, the beauty and bingo-obsessed matriarch was pretty neglectful.
    — Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of neglectful
Adjective
  • The residents occasionally gather in a disused rec center but the meetings devolve into rants about immigrants, junkies, thugs and vigilantism.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • At least 14 artisanal miners are dead and scores are injured at a disused mine in South Africa, police said Tuesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of disused
Noun
  • Carl Sandburg’s 1927 American Songbag featured a whole section of hobo songs presenting the bum as a beau ideal.
    — Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The silhouette was heavily elongated, with three-quarter-length jackets and argyle knitwear that covered the bum.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of bum
Adjective
  • Josh Hoover may have been a bit careless, but every game TCU has played this season is another painful example how badly both his old school, and coach, miss him.
    — Mac Engel October 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Red Raiders quarterback Will Hammond can be careless with the football, throwing three interceptions against Sam Houston last weekend and posting five picks in four games.
    — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of careless
Adjective
  • The suitcase containing her body was found soon afterward by railway tracks in a deserted area.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Supporting this theory, the population of Lauriacum increased threefold over the next fifty years, with the deserted settlement now being used as a quarry.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of deserted
Noun
  • Dhaka’s rundown streets peppered with the homeless, vendors and child beggars.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Robert Pattinson’s big outburst in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ has gone viral—here’s the ‘beggars’ meme, explained.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of beggar
Adjective
  • Composed of 160 photographs taken across the past seven decades by 118 photographers, the show suggests the jobs, romances, family life, and lazy afternoons that could have been his.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • However, GitHub’s measures don’t require users to revoke any credentials left exposed in a repo, and some developers continue hard-coding, even though it’s considered both lazy development and exceptionally poor security.
    — Alex Colon, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of lazy
Adjective
  • By the time viewers reach hour 15, the staff has spent an entire shift navigating a cyberattack that forces the emergency department to abandon digital systems, a nonstop influx of Fourth of July emergencies and an abandoned baby.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • According to the gallery, the 25-minute film is set in a semi-abandoned hotel near Tokyo and reimagines the Greek myth of the goddess Persephone’s abduction by Hades.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026
Definition of abandoned

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Cite this Entry

“Derelict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derelict. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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