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

He insisted that his campaign was aimed at Angelenos angry about how the city was being managed, as evidenced by disrepair of city streets and unchecked homeless encampments.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Marriott—to escape the black mold that overran its building after years of disrepair.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Destroyed by bombing during the Israeli invasion in 1982 and rebuilt after the end of the civil war in 1990, it has fallen into disrepair due to a lack of funds for its upkeep.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 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

The disrepair of the house did not bother her at all, the crumbling plaster, the peeling wallpaper, the faded paints or the columns; none of it made any difference.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• decay