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tumble-down

[tuhm-buh l-doun]
See more synonyms for tumble-down on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. dilapidated; ruined; rundown: He lived in a tumble-down shack.
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Origin of tumble-down

First recorded in 1810–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

shabby, dilapidated, flimsy, crumbling, decrepit, broken-down, derelict, rickety, shaky, broken, wobbly, ramshackle, deserted, desolate, neglected, dingy, seedy, tacky, infirm, run-down

Examples from the Web for tumble-down

Historical Examples

  • There were two rough-haired, unkempt horses in the tumble-down stable.

    The Return of Sherlock Holmes

    Arthur Conan Doyle

  • This tumble-down, six-roomed cottage was to be the saving of the family.

    They and I

    Jerome K. Jerome

  • Didcot with its Banbury cakes and tumble-down station is passed.

  • By these means the town acquired a tumble-down and battered appearance.

  • A tumble-down place I found it, but I was overjoyed to be in it, nevertheless.