decrepit
Americanadjective
-
weakened by old age; feeble; infirm.
a decrepit man who can hardly walk.
- Antonyms:
- vigorous
-
worn out by long use; dilapidated.
a decrepit stove.
adjective
-
enfeebled by old age; infirm
-
broken down or worn out by hard or long use; dilapidated
Related Words
See weak.
Other Word Forms
- decrepitly adverb
- decrepitness noun
- decrepitude noun
- undecrepit adjective
Etymology
Origin of decrepit
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin dēcrepitus, literally, “broken down,” equivalent to dē- de- + crep(āre) “to crack” + -i- -i- + -tus past participle suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was as decrepit as when Clare had arrived, but not a singed splinter more.
From Literature
I realized how very old and decrepit I must look to this young person.
From Literature
“My professor is giving extra credit, which I sorely need, for coming in early and organizing his decrepit filing system. This is my diligent-student costume.”
From Literature
They loaded salvageable sofas and home appliances onto decrepit blue pickup trucks in the unmistakable 1960s design of local brand Zamyad.
From Barron's
Dimming the upbeat declarations is a harsh reality: It will likely take at least a decade — and perhaps $200 billion or more — to restore the country’s decrepit hydrocarbon infrastructure, experts say.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
