decrepit
decrepit Lexical Profile
decrepit Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Worn out, ruined, or fallen into disrepair because of age, neglect, or long use (typically of a building, vehicle, or object).
"The historical society raised funds to restore the decrepit nineteenth-century theater in the center of town."
Weakened, frail, or infirm, especially as a result of old age or hard physical labor (of a person or animal).
"Despite feeling somewhat decrepit after decades of manual labor, the retired carpenter still tended his garden every morning."
Word Nuance & Usage
Notice the spelling and pronunciation of the ending: "decrepit" ends in a "t" (/dɪˈkrɛpɪt/) and should not be misspelled or mispronounced as "decrepid" due to confusion with words like "intrepid" or "tepid".
• Rhymes for decrepit
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 15th century via Middle French from Latin decrepitus, the past participle of decrepare ("to burst asunder" or "to creak noisy"), formed from de- ("down, completely") and crepare ("to rattle, creak, or crack"), originally evoking the image of something worn out to the point of creaking or falling apart.