dilapidate

Dilapidate is a verb meaning to cause a building or other structure to fall into partial ruin, or to become ruinous through neglect, wear, or age. It is typically applied to physical structures such as houses, factories, bridges, or monuments, though it can be used metaphorically for other deteriorating things. In common usage, something dilapidates as a result of long-term neglect or insufficient maintenance; weather, natural disasters, and structural deficiencies can also contribute to dilapidation. The related adjective dilapidated describes the state resulting from dilapidation, while dilapidation refers to the process or condition of ruin.

Etymology: The term comes from the Latin dilapidare, from dis- “apart” + lapis “stone,” originally referring to the scattering or tossing of stones from a roof and, by extension, to ruin or destruction. The sense evolved in English to mean to bring something into ruin.

Usage notes: Dilapidate is a formal word and is somewhat archaic in everyday speech. In modern writing, people more often say that a structure has fallen into disrepair or is dilapidated rather than using the verb, though it remains common in historical, architectural, or property contexts.

Related terms: dilapidation (noun), dilapidated (adjective), derelict, disrepair, decay.