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
Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 4 Apr. 2025
When no firm alternatives emerged, and with the site growing mildewed and dilapidated, the original construction resumed.
—By Charlie Campbell/gelephu, Bhutan, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
Located inside an early 20th-century building, this dilapidated space has been given a new lease on life by the Parisian interior designer.
—Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2025
Rows of young men in camouflage report for roll call in the shadow of dilapidated, battle-scarred buildings.
—Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dilapidated
Cite this Entry
“Dilapidated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilapidated. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
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