Dictionary

dilapidate en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /dɪˈlæp.ɪ.deɪt/ (UK, US)
• /dəˈlæp.ə.deɪt/ (UK, US)

Etymology

From Latin dilapidō (“to scatter, consume, throw away”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from dis- (“asunder”) + lapidō (“to stone”), from lapis (“stone”). Compare French dilapider.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To 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, →OCLC:
   • 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:
2. (figuratively, transitive) To squander or waste.
   • The patrimony of the bishopric of Oxon was much dilapidated. 1692, Anthony Wood, Athenae Oxonienses:
3. (archaic, intransitive) To fall into ruin or disuse.

Forms

Relateds

lapidate

Translations (44)

nb la forfalle (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · es deteriorarse (to fall into ruin or disuse) · bg руша се (to fall into ruin or disuse) · cs ruinovat (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · fi hävittää (to squander or waste) · pl zrujnować (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · lad despedrer (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · sv föröda (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · it buttare via (to squander or waste) · pt dilapidar-se (to fall into ruin or disuse) · es derrochar (to squander or waste) · it sperperare (to squander or waste) · nb forfalle (to fall into ruin or disuse) · pt dilapidar (to squander or waste) · sv ödelägga (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · bg руша (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · fi rapistuttaa (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · bg разрушавам (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · cs chátrat (to fall into ruin or disuse) · sv ruinera (to squander or waste) · lad desperyer (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · da forfalde (to fall into ruin or disuse) · es deteriorar (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · sv förfalla (to fall into ruin or disuse) · hu lepukkan (to fall into ruin or disuse) · pt dilapidar (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · it dilapidare (to squander or waste) · ru разруша́ть (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · cs ruinovat (to squander or waste) · ru разрушаться (to fall into ruin or disuse) · ru ветшать (to fall into ruin or disuse) · pl roztrwonić (to squander or waste) · ru расточать (to squander or waste) · bg прахосвам (to squander or waste) · nb ødelegge (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · fi rapistua (to fall into ruin or disuse) · fr dilapider (to squander or waste) · ru растрачивать (to squander or waste) · fr délabrer (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · it gettare alle ortiche (to squander or waste) · da lade forfalde (to cause to become ruined or put into disrepair) · ru приходи́ть в упа́док (to fall into ruin or disuse) · pl popaść w ruinę (to fall into ruin or disuse) · bg разнебитвам се (to fall into ruin or disuse)

dilapidate en · ADJ · etymology 2

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin dīlapidātus, perfect passive participle of dilapidō (“squander, consume, throw away”), see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.

Meanings

1. (archaic, obsolete) dilapidated

Forms