dilapidated
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dilapidated
First recorded in 1800–10; dilapidate + -ed 2
Explanation
Falling down and in total disrepair, something that's dilapidated is going to need a lot of fixing up. Sure, there might be crooked floorboards, mice scurrying underfoot, and pieces missing from the ceiling, but that dilapidated house does come with one perk: a cheaper price tag! Dilapidated is a word that implies deterioration, often because of neglect. So if you don’t take care of things, they can become dilapidated. That goes for houses, tree forts, relationships, health — you name it!
Vocabulary lists containing dilapidated
Grade 10, List 2
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Tangerine
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The Maze Runner
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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.
There are parts of the island you’re not allowed to photograph, “secure zones” consisting of dilapidated military buildings topped with ragged, sun-bleached Albanian flags.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
"For the portion that is to be converted into a cafe and shop, the dilapidated state means that any intervention is an improvement," the statement added.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
These wild swings in the numbers came while residents here didn’t notice any change to the slow but steady arrival of newcomers in dilapidated coaches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
When he viewed it for the first time, the musician said it was just “raw land with two dilapidated cabins.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
She sat cross-legged on their dilapidated dresser, smug as a cat.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
