tumble-down

1 6.7

An old building in very bad condition because no one repaired it

adjective
/ˈtʌmbəlˌdaʊn/

: en ruinas

The tumble-down walls of kitchen gardens are on either side.

Examples

- Do you know who owns that piece of property across the road from you, the one with the tumble-down house on it?

A Home of Our Own (1993)
Hellenbarger, kindly remove this tumble-down ruin immediately.

Fiction book (1991)
Which explains his firm resolve to grind to a fine powder whatever he could, mummies and tumble-down temples alike, an attitude mirrored by the Hungerkünstler.

Fiction book (1998)
The old, tumble-down cottage was overgrown with weeds and barely held together.
In the heart of the city, many tumble-down buildings served as a reminder of the town's prosperous past.
After years of neglect, the park's tumble-down benches became a safety hazard for visitors.

Synonyms

broken-down

vstumble-down

43 4.4

In very poor condition and not working because of age or neglect

focuses on state of disrepair rather than function or failure

dilapidated

vstumble-down

20 6.2

A building that is very old and badly damaged because no one fixed it

is more general, meaning very poor condition from neglect

run-down

vstumble-down

18 4.5

A building or place that is in poor condition because people do not look after it

is similar but stresses severe neglect rather than mere wear

derelict

vstumble-down

13 7.5

A place or building that is abandoned and in very bad condition from lack of use

means poor condition but does not require abandonment

ramshackle

vstumble-down

9 7.5

Old and in very bad condition, like a house about to fall down

focuses on neglect and disrepair rather than poor construction

tumbledown

vstumble-down

1 5.6

A building that is old, not cared for, and falling apart

is the same sense but presented as an alternate spelling

tatterdemalion

vstumble-down

Archaic

1 9.9

Wearing old, torn, and dirty clothes

applies to buildings and objects in dilapidated condition rather than dress

Antonyms

well-kept

21 1.8

Neat and in good condition because someone looks after it

How Dilapidated

derelict

13 7.5

tumble-down

1 6.7

shabby

31 2.5

worn

111 2.1

Surface Forms

tumble-down positive

Morphology

tumble-down = tumble (semi-transparent) = down + tumble

The compound literally suggests 'likely to tumble down' and has extended metaphorically to mean 'dilapidated', so the relation to the parts is clear but somewhat figurative. [Postprocessing: moved 'down' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

The word tumble-down comes from two simple words: tumble ('to fall or roll') and down ('towards the ground'). So a tumble-down house looks as if it has tumbled or is ready to fall, which is why the word means a building in a very poor, neglected condition.