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.
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Examples of dilapidated in a Sentence
Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Since then, the concept has taken off in over 30 municipalities across northern and southern Italy, including the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, as a way to entice buyers to restore dilapidated structures.
—Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 18 Dec. 2024
Things only get worse once the warring factions decide to move into the dilapidated home together.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
So where does this leave buyers without a few million in cash to throw down on a dilapidated brownstone?
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 23 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Dilapidated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilapidated. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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