Etymologically
Log in

dilapidated

Etymology and origin of the English word dilapidated

History Permalink
Formation
Borrowing
Borrowed from
Latin dilapidatus

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dɪˈlæpɪdeɪtɪd/[1]

Etymology

It is the past participle of dilapidate,[2][3] which is borrowed from Latin dīlapidātus, past participle of Latin dīlapidō (“to squander, destroy”),[4][5][2] from Latin dis- (“apart”) + lapidō (“to throw stones at”),[4][5][6][2] from lapis “stone”.[4][5][2] The verb may be a back-formation from dilapidation, which is recorded in Scots English about 1425.[6][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Fallen into ruin or disrepair (the adjective dilapidated, recorded about 1806).[7][2]

Semantic evolution

The Latin verb meant literally “to scatter like stones”, and then “to waste, squander”.[2] In English the verb dilapidate first meant to bring a building to ruin through misuse or neglect (1570), and also to squander an estate (1590);[7][2] the sense “to fall into ruin” followed in 1712.[7][2] Merriam-Webster dates the adjective itself to 1565,[5] while the OED and Etymonline record it only from about 1806.[7][2] It can be used literally or figuratively.[7]

Timeline

  • about 1425 – dilapidation (Scots).[6]
  • 1565 – earliest date for the adjective in Merriam-Webster.[5]
  • 1570 – dilapidate, to bring a building into decay.[7][6]
  • 1590 – dilapidate, to squander an estate.[7]
  • 1712 – dilapidate, to fall into ruin.[7][2]
  • about 1806 – dilapidated, ruined, broken down.[7][2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Fallen into partial ruin or disrepair, especially through neglect or age; shabby and broken-down.

Word family

  • dilapidate
  • dilapidation
  • lapidary
  • lapidate

Usage notes

Random House lists run-down, tumbledown, ramshackle and rickety as synonyms.[3]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  4. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Dilapidated.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/dilapidated. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·