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.
Synonyms
Examples of dilapidated in a Sentence
Editorial Board, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
In 1853, Ann Pamela Cunningham, a well-to-do woman from South Carolina who was shocked by accounts of the dilapidated state of the home, founded the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union to save it, according to the website.
—Michael E. Ruane The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 20 Oct. 2024
To use the dilapidated zoo buildings as a cool backdrop for her son's and his girlfriend's prom photos.
—Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 15 Oct. 2024
The rally was 12 miles or more away from the dilapidated apartment complexes that sparked a national firestorm and drew Trump to Colorado.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Dilapidated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilapidated. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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