dilapidated

adjective

di·lap·i·dat·ed də-ˈla-pə-ˌdā-təd

Synonyms of dilapidated next

: decayed, deteriorated, or fallen into partial ruin especially through neglect or misuse

a dilapidated old house

Did you know?

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

a dilapidated car that had seen better days

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

This small apartment on the eastern edge of Paris was so dilapidated that not long after moving in, its owner turned around and moved out. —

Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 10 Dec. 2024 Ford invested $740 million into renovating the depot and transforming several other sites in the immediate Corktown district so that now the dilapidated train station is the centerpiece of a new campus devoted to future mobility technology that draws in thousands of visitors. —

Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 9 Dec. 2024 Speaking to a regional health board last month, Regina Coeli's governor, Claudia Clementi, said overcrowding meant the dilapidated facility was operating on a knife-edge. —

Rebecca Messina, theweek, 9 Dec. 2024 Like a dilapidated old house, many of these agencies are in dire need of a total renovation. —

Michael Zais, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dilapidated