as in disrepair
formal
the state of being old and in bad condition or poor health
The house has fallen into decrepitude. She was saddened by the decrepitude of many of the nursing home residents.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 decrepitude
Despite Orlok’s prosthetic decrepitude and the plague-like toxicity of his love, what truly horrifies Ellen about him is that some unknown part of her nature craves his touch.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024
His advanced decrepitude will be matched only by the looming threat of irrelevance in a desensitized world.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Oct. 2023
Here and throughout his work, contradictions between vitality and decrepitude, nature and artifice, beauty and the grotesque don’t resolve in neutralizing harmony, but instead thrum on with generative friction.
—Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2023
How much of the aging process is an inevitable slide into decrepitude, and how much is a result of not getting enough exercise?
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 10 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for decrepitude
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024
His advanced decrepitude will be matched only by the looming threat of irrelevance in a desensitized world.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Oct. 2023
Here and throughout his work, contradictions between vitality and decrepitude, nature and artifice, beauty and the grotesque don’t resolve in neutralizing harmony, but instead thrum on with generative friction.
—Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2023
How much of the aging process is an inevitable slide into decrepitude, and how much is a result of not getting enough exercise?
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 10 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for decrepitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decrepitude
Noun
-
The woman’s house had been in disrepair before the collapse, WPVI reported.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Built in 1957, the current building is in disrepair, but North Chicago School District 187 Superintendent John Price said the test scores there are the best in the district.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Since then, the levels have been adjusted to a maximum of 0.7 ppm or 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, which is considered optimal for preventing tooth decay.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Weak or absent pulse Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia Some people with severe arterial blockages develop chronic limb-threatening ischemia (insufficient blood flow), which can cause severe, constant pain, gangrene (tissue decay), and even limb loss (amputation).—
Alicen Nelson MD,
Verywell Health,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
-
According to this view, the outside world has been generous to Africa, providing substantial aid in recent decades, leaving no excuse for the continent’s debility.—
Howard W. French,
Foreign Affairs,
16 June 2015
Cite this Entry
“Decrepitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decrepitude. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share