dilapidated
In severe disrepair
Dilapidated describes something fallen into disrepair through age or neglect.
Buildings are most often dilapidated—roofs sagging, paint peeling, foundations crumbling: a dilapidated farmhouse at the edge of town.
The word suggests decay over time rather than sudden damage, and carries a sense of former solidity now compromised.
Worn and neglected
- tatteredRipped and worn out
- threadbareWorn until transparent
- frayedUnraveled at edges
- raggedWorn to shreds
battered · beat-up · faded · weathered · time-worn · patina · distressed · weather-beaten
Breaking down gradually
- ramshackleBadly deteriorated from neglect
- tumbledownRuined through neglect
- ricketyUnsteady, liable to collapse
- collapsingFalling inward suddenly
decrepit · broken-down · unstable · sagging · tottering · shattered · fractured · unsafe
Left behind completely
- derelictAbandoned or neglectful
- forsakenCompletely abandoned or discarded
- disusedNo longer in operation
- vacantWithout an occupant
forgotten · unattended · overgrown · unkempt · mothballed · empty · deserted · uninhabited
Undergoing organic breakdown
- deterioratingBecoming progressively worse
- rottingOrganic matter decomposing
- disintegratingBreaking down gradually
- corrodedEaten away chemically
rusty · moldering · peeling · festering · decomposing · eroded · pitted · rusted
shabby
Worn and neglected
- tatteredRipped and worn out
- threadbareWorn until transparent
- frayedUnraveled at edges
ragged · battered · beat-up · faded · weathered · time-worn · patina · distressed · weather-beaten · sun-bleached
crumbling
Breaking down gradually
- ramshackleBadly deteriorated from neglect
- tumbledownRuined through neglect
- ricketyUnsteady, liable to collapse
collapsing · decrepit · broken-down · unstable · sagging · tottering · shattered · fractured · unsafe · leaning
abandoned
Left behind completely
- derelictAbandoned or neglectful
- forsakenCompletely abandoned or discarded
- disusedNo longer in operation
vacant · forgotten · unattended · overgrown · unkempt · mothballed · empty · deserted · uninhabited · unoccupied
decaying
Undergoing organic breakdown
- deterioratingBecoming progressively worse
- rottingOrganic matter decomposing
- disintegratingBreaking down gradually
corroded · rusty · moldering · peeling · festering · decomposing · eroded · pitted · rusted · oxidized
desolate
Bleak and abandoned
somber · eerie · haunted · melancholy · ghostly · creepy · spooky · brooding · ominous · shadowy
- damageddamaged, broken, wrecked, ruined, destroyed
- property traitsspacious, cozy, rundown, vacant, occupied
- structural conditionsintact, damaged, compromised, sound, unsound
- worn-outworn, shabby, tattered, threadbare, battered
- working-classblue-collar, working-class, diner, laundromat, corner store
- povertypoverty line, poor, poverty rate, impoverished, generational poverty
dilapidatedwell-maintained
Properly looked after
maintained · well-kept · cared-for · tended · preserved
- dilapidated houseBadly deteriorated dwelling