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

“It’s been in continuous disrepair and derelict circumstances,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 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

But others are in favour of the redesign of the house, which many years ago was rented by the interior ministry and housed a centre for people with disabilities before it fell into disrepair.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

A recent assembly report said many schools in Northern Ireland were "in a state of disrepair," and it would take up to £800m to fix them.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

Where there should have been an army of carpenters, masons, glaziers, plasterers, and painters, I saw only empty shells of buildings, already falling into disrepair after a few weeks of neglect.

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Related Words

• decay