decrepit - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English
Adjective
decrepit (comparative more decrepit, superlative most decrepit)
- Weakened or worn out from age or wear.
- ✤ Sorrow is subdued by strong necessity; there is no cause why life should be lengthened for our love; and we feel that the worn and the decrepit do but go down into that grave which had received youth, health, beauty,—all that made existence precious—long before.1
- ✤ Two entrants shared this award for their work on two quite different stations, but with the same purpose of bringing a redundant station building back into use for the benefit of the community, with the added result of conserving an historic building. Saltash Town Council bought Saltash station building after it had become very decrepit and ‘an eyesore’ - such that it was nearly pulled down to make way for housing.2
Etymology
From Middle English decrepyt (ante 1439), from Middle French décrépit, from Latin dēcrepitus (“very old”), from crepō (“to creak”).
Pronunciation
- IPA: /dɪˈkɹɛp.ɪt/, /dəˈkɹɛp.ɪd/
- (Australia) IPA: /dəˈkɹɛp.ɪd/
- Audio (Southern England): 🔊
Printed 2026-09-13.
(echo:: @ ⌗)
Footnotes
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1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, pages 79–80: ↩
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2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards honour the best restoration projects: The Network Rail Community Award: Saltash and Stow”, in RAIL, number 946, page 58: ↩