dilapidated

dilapidated — adjective

1. broken or falling apart because of age and neglect, with parts that are cracked,

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

broken or falling apart because of age and neglect, with parts that are cracked, loose, or crumbling

Example

The old wooden barn behind Priya's house was so dilapidated that the roof had caved in.

predicative use: be + so dilapidated that...

A dilapidated fence ran along the edge of the farm, with several posts leaning sideways.

attributive use: dilapidated + noun

Common collocations
  • dilapidated building
  • dilapidated house
  • dilapidated barn
  • dilapidated factory
  • dilapidated fence
  • dilapidated wall
  • dilapidated furniture
  • dilapidated condition
  • dilapidated state
Synonyms
  • run-down

    more frequent in everyday speech; can describe buildings, neighborhoods, or a person's appearance

  • ramshackle

    suggests a structure that looks unsteady or poorly built, about to collapse

  • decrepit

    emphasizes weakness from old age; can apply to people, unlike dilapidated

  • rickety

    suggests unsteadiness and loose parts, often of furniture

Antonyms
  • well-maintained

    opposite of neglected; kept in good condition

  • sturdy

    strongly built and not likely to break or fall down

Usage Note

Only describes physical objects and structures, especially buildings, furniture, walls, and vehicles. Never used for people or animals — use 'frail', 'weak', or 'decrepit' instead.

Common Mistakes

The old man looked dilapidated.
The old man looked frail.
Dilapidated describes buildings and objects, not people.
My phone is dilapidated because I dropped it.
My phone is badly damaged because I dropped it.
Dilapidated implies long-term decay from neglect, not sudden accidental damage.

Word family

  • dilapidation
    nounC2
  • dilapidate
    verbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something in poor condition, but they differ in scope and feel. 'Run-down' is the most common and casual term — it can describe a building, a neighborhood, or even a tired person's appearance, though for people it means exhausted rather than decayed. 'Ramshackle' focuses on instability: a ramshackle structure looks like it might fall over at any moment, often because it was poorly built to begin with. 'Decrepit' emphasizes weakness from extreme age and, unlike 'dilapidated', can be used for people. 'Rickety' is narrower — it describes furniture or devices with loose joints that wobble. For example: a run-down hotel might just need new paint; a ramshackle shed is already listing to one side; a rickety table wobbles when you touch it; a dilapidated barn has broken windows, holes in the roof, and years of neglect visible everywhere.

run-downramshackledecrepitrickety

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • badly dilapidated
  • somewhat dilapidated
  • visibly dilapidated

Phrases

  • fall into a dilapidated state
  • in a dilapidated condition
  • look dilapidated
  • become dilapidated

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Comes from Latin 'dilapidatus', meaning 'squandered' or 'wasted', from 'dis-' (apart) and 'lapidare' (to stone, from 'lapis' meaning stone). The original sense was about wasting money or property, like letting stones fall from a building. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'squander' to the physical decay you see when something has been neglected.