dilapidation
1
8.4
- noun
- /dɪˌlæpɪˈdeɪʃən/
:
dilapidación
- Eleanor finished her tea, then strolled along the row of exhibit booths, whose dilapidation was disguised by colored flags and streamers that fluttered in the breeze.
Examples
-
Today in Clarksdale, as in the entire Delta, the traditional "white" and "black" parts of town are nearly as segregated as in the days of Jim Crow and are still easy to identify by looking at the grandeur or dilapidation of the houses.
Academic text (2018) -
Everywhere, a state of genteel dilapidation was evident.
Fiction book (1993) -
The increasing dilapidation of the church in modern times prompted a comprehensive restoration between 1856 and the 1880s.
Academic text (2005) -
As it is, the dirt and grime and general dilapidation make it a completely improper place to care for the sick or even run the complex administrative machinery that is required to do this.
Academic text (2011) -
By the time they returned, the house—which had never been more than a couple of steps ahead of dilapidation anyway, due to a combination of age and idiosyncratic construction methods—was uninhabitable.
Fiction book (1993) -
The old house fell into a state of dilapidation after years of neglect.
-
The city council assessed the dilapidation of the historic building before deciding on its future.
-
Residents complained about the dilapidation of the once-beautiful park, which had become overrun with weeds.
Synonyms
439
3.9
A gradual loss in amount, quality, or value
100
3.2
A state of complete destruction or loss
43
5.9
A slow change when something like a building or a person's health becomes worse
33
6.8
The process of making land, water, or buildings worse over time
13
5.9
A poor condition of a house or wall because no one fixed it
8
7.5
A process of becoming worse in condition, quality, or morals
2
9.3
A state of being worn out and weak because of old age or long use
Antonyms
How Dilapidated
Surface Forms
Morphology
dilapidation = dilapidate (semi-transparent) = dilapidate + ion
Formally derived from the verb 'dilapidate' with the productive noun-forming suffix '-ion', but the verb and its Latin-derived elements are uncommon and may not be analysable by an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Dilapidation comes from Latin parts de- 'away' and lapis 'stone', so picture a building losing its stones one by one. So, dilapidation means a place becoming run-down or falling to pieces.