Meanings
dilapidate1
present singular third person dilapidates · participle present dilapidating · participle past dilapidated · past dilapidated
- transitiveTo cause to become ruined or put into disrepair.
If the bishop, parson, or vicar, etc., dilapidates the buildings, or cuts down the timber of the patrimony[…]
1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC1 more example
In the last days of autumn he had whitewashed the chalet, painted the doors, windows, and veranda, repaired the roof and interior, and improved the place so much that the landlord had warned him that the rent would be raised at the expiration of his twelvemonth's tenancy, remarking that a tenant could not reasonably expect to have a pretty, rain-tight dwelling-house for the same money as a hardly habitable ruin. Smilash had immediately promised to dilapidate it to its former state at the end of the year.
1883, George Bernard Shaw, chapter VI, in An Unsocial Socialist - figurativelytransitiveTo squander or waste.
The patrimony of the bishopric of Oxon was much dilapidated.
1692, Anthony Wood, Athenae Oxonienses
dilapidate2
comparative more dilapidate · superlative most dilapidate
- archaicobsoletedilapidated
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
dilapidate · verb
From Latin dilapidō (“to scatter, consume, throw away”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from dis- (“asunder”) + lapidō (“to stone”), from lapis (“stone”). Compare French dilapider.
Full word history & related roots →dilapidate · adjective
- Latindīlapidātus
- Englishdilapidate
Learned borrowing from Latin dīlapidātus, perfect passive participle of dilapidō (“squander, consume, throw away”), see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian руша, разрушавам
- руша (ruša)to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- разрушавам (razrušavam)to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- прахосвам (prahosvam)to squander or waste
- руша се (ruša se)to fall into ruin or disuse
- разнебитвам се (raznebitvam se)to fall into ruin or disuse
Czech ruinovat, ruinovat
- ruinovatto cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- ruinovatto squander or waste
- chátratto fall into ruin or disuse
Danish lade forfalde, forfalde
- lade forfaldeto cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- forfaldeto fall into ruin or disuse
Finnish rapistuttaa, hävittää
- rapistuttaato cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- hävittääto squander or waste
- rapistuato fall into ruin or disuse
French délabrer, dilapider
- délabrerto cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- dilapiderto squander or waste
Hungarian lepukkan
- lepukkanto fall into ruin or disuse
Italian dilapidare, sperperare
- dilapidareto squander or waste
- sperperareto squander or waste
- buttare viato squander or waste
- gettare alle orticheto squander or waste
Norwegian Bokmål la forfalle, ødelegge
- la forfalleto cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- ødeleggeto cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- forfalleto fall into ruin or disuse
Polish zrujnować, roztrwonić
- zrujnowaćto cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- roztrwonićto squander or waste
- popaść w ruinęto fall into ruin or disuse
Portuguese dilapidar, dilapidar
- dilapidarto cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- dilapidarto squander or waste
- dilapidar-seto fall into ruin or disuse
Russian разруша́ть, расточать
- разруша́ть (razrušátʹ)to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- расточать (rastočatʹ)to squander or waste
- растрачивать (rastračivatʹ)to squander or waste
- разрушаться (razrušatʹsja)to fall into ruin or disuse
- ветшать (vetšatʹ)to fall into ruin or disuse
- приходи́ть в упа́док (prixodítʹ v upádok)to fall into ruin or disuse
Spanish deteriorar, derrochar
- deteriorarto cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- derrocharto squander or waste
- deteriorarseto fall into ruin or disuse
Swedish ödelägga, föröda
- ödeläggato cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- förödato cause to become ruined or put into disrepair
- ruinerato squander or waste
- förfallato fall into ruin or disuse
Cite this entry
dilapidate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dilapidate
“dilapidate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dilapidate. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dilapidate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dilapidate.
Source: dilapidate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.