1
as in neglectful
failing to give proper care and attention
the guards were judged derelict in their duty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disused
left unoccupied or unused
purchased an old derelict mansion that was rumored to be haunted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bum
an idle worthless person
a section of the city that seemed to be frequented mostly by derelicts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of derelict
Angelica Krystle Donati, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Havel was delivering information about the agency’s plan to clear the bay of derelict vessels to comply with demands from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
—Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
As the deadline approached, people worked frantically to fix derelict vehicles.
—Ana Swanson, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The derelict Brooklyn Queens Expressway, which has been deemed too brittle to patch, too cumbersome to bury, and too crucial to dismantle, keeps getting handed off to the next administration.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derelict
Adjective
Once a derelict industrial area, the £3 billion regeneration project now hosts global tech giants like Google and Meta alongside residential units, parks, and cultural amenities.
—Angelica Krystle Donati, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Havel was delivering information about the agency’s plan to clear the bay of derelict vessels to comply with demands from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
—Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
As the deadline approached, people worked frantically to fix derelict vehicles.
—Ana Swanson, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The derelict Brooklyn Queens Expressway, which has been deemed too brittle to patch, too cumbersome to bury, and too crucial to dismantle, keeps getting handed off to the next administration.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derelict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derelict
Adjective
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Attendees will learn about what constitutes neglect, abuse and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities, as well as how to report an abusive or neglectful situation.—
Melinda Moore,
Chicago Tribune,
21 May 2025
-
Disorganized behavior: Mary/Jone refuses to eat with her/his family or have a bath, which may reflect disorganized or neglectful behavior.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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On his release, Stern went on to spend the 1950s ping-ponging between New York and California, for a time living on a disused laundry barge in Sausalito.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
3 Mar. 2025
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One of the most powerful scenes in Sugarcane takes place in a disused barn where, over a period of decades, Indigenous children worked under the lash.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This was all done with a bum wrist, which posed as an inconvenience to him at times.—
Hannah Kirby,
Journal Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2024
-
Tommy, left to prosecute the case against Rusty, has inherited a bum gig.—
Vinson Cunningham,
The New Yorker,
26 July 2024
Adjective
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In August 2023, using the FWC’s report on the crash, prosecutors initially charged Pino with only three counts of misdemeanor careless boating.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2025
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Being a careless jackass but also irresistibly charming is a tough needle to thread.—
Staff Author Published,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The beggars, widows, and families with sick relatives who once made a pilgrimage to the gates of the parliament building in the Green Zone to beg lawmakers for help are now barred from entry.—
Ned Parker,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2012
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All the beggars at the intersection of Lee Road and the off-ramp of I-4 are completely out of hand.—
Ticked Off,
Orlando Sentinel,
18 July 2024
Adjective
-
RuPaul wants a Drag Superstar, not an ordinary girl who gets lazy and gets bored.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
-
Jack Sparks, aquatics director for the city, said Black Bob Bay’s water park typically draws the biggest crowds with its lazy river, rock wall and high dive.—
Beth Lipoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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The 33 towns being considered for this project, which are expected to meet final approval in the coming weeks, are all on the brink of extinction with the number of empty and abandoned houses outnumbering those that are inhabited.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
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The team had a group task to accomplish, yes, but at every checkpoint, people had to make the decision to be selfish or selfless, and the selfish ones got rewarded while the selfless were left abandoned and miserable on the loch.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Extra hooks allow the bag to transform into a trapezoidal hobo shape.—
Joelle Diderich,
WWD,
19 Sep. 2024
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There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.—
Lindy Segal,
Glamour,
13 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Derelict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derelict. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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