disrepair

American  

[dis-ri-pair] / ˌdɪs rɪˈpɛər /

noun

1. the condition of needing repair; an impaired or neglected state.

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disrepair British  

/ ˌdɪsrɪˈpɛə /

noun

1. the condition of being worn out or in poor working order; a condition requiring repairs

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Etymology

Origin of disrepair

First recorded in 1790–1800; dis- ¹ + repair ¹

Explanation

Disrepair is a state of being damaged or broken, especially because of neglect. Leaving your car in your parents' driveway all winter might result in disrepair. A house in disrepair needs help — it might look shabby, with flaking paint and a crumbling brick porch. This mostly happens when houses aren't being lived in, or when their owners don't have the money for upkeep. An entire city or neighborhood in disrepair feels neglected and even dangerous. The noun disrepair combines the prefix dis-, "do the opposite with repair, "mend or fix," from its Latin root reparare, "restore" or "put back in order."

Example Sentences

Maxman added that a lack of sanitation and hygiene materials means families are exposed to disease from open sewage, and vital water and sanitation systems and services are still destroyed or in disrepair.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

“Now all those artists are gone, and all that art is gone,” Chambers said, peering toward his studio, which houses Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps in disrepair.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Now frozen by British sanctions, the properties have fallen into disrepair, the overgrown lots a blight on an upscale street lined with manicured gardens and iron gates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Jerry Brown signed into law, levying the state’s first gas tax increase in 23 years to fix California’s roads and bridges in disrepair.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

“London Bridge” might go as far back as the Middle Ages in London, as it describes the disrepair of the famous bridge.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• decay