disrepair

Etymology

It is formed from English dis- + repair, the noun meaning the act or state of mending.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Earliest recorded meaning

The state of being out of repair, or in bad condition for want of repairs: 1798, in the Telegraph.^[2][4] Etymonline dates the word to 1736 or earlier.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its first sense, and is often used in the phrases in disrepair and fall into disrepair.^[2][7][4] Merriam-Webster Unabridged also records it figuratively, of a person's state of mind.^[4]

Timeline

• 1798 – the state of needing repair.^[2][4] Etymonline dates it to 1736.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The state of being worn out, broken or in poor condition for lack of repairs: The old mill had fallen into disrepair.^[7][4][2]

Related words

• repair

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
7. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins