decrepitude
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of decrepitude
1595–1605; < French décrépitude, derivative of décrépit decrepit; see -tude
Explanation
Many old buildings located in “ghost towns” in the Old West area of the United States are in a state of decrepitude. In other words, they are worn out and in disrepair. Decrepitude is usually a result of old age or neglect. Elderly people can be in this state and so can things, such as homes and automobiles. Similar words, which also happen to start with the letter D, are dilapidation and deterioration. Haunted houses featured in the movies are good examples of decrepitude. Most of them are not new and shiny, but have peeling paint, creaking floorboards, and lots of cobwebs.
Vocabulary lists containing decrepitude
Poe's Favorite Words, collected by Charles Harrington Elster
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The Namesake
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"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They asked: "How do we ethically justify forcing these bodies to continue to exist in decrepitude?"
From BBC • May 13, 2025
Even for classic car enthusiasts, there’s a point of extreme decrepitude that precludes restoration but ignites reimagination.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2023
Many famous defendants have aimed for respectability, maturity, wide-eyed innocence or even pitiful decrepitude on their days in court.
From Washington Post • Mar. 25, 2023
People bought there, people built there, and when the real estate company folded, the sign that was meant to stand for 18 months soldiered on into decrepitude for years.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2023
Other than these small businesses, there are more shingled houses, the same shape and size and in the same state of mild decrepitude, painted mint, or lilac, or powder blue.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
