Definitions

decrepit

[dih-krep-it] / dɪˈkrɛp ɪt /

ADJECTIVE

deteriorated, debilitated, especially as a result of age

Synonyms

STRONGEST

battered broken-down creaky dilapidated feeble flimsy frail infirm ramshackle rickety run down seedy shabby

WEAK

aged anile antiquated bedraggled doddering effete fragile haggard incapacitated insubstantial old quavering senile shaking superannuated tacky threadbare tired tottering tumble-down unsound used wasted weak weakly weather-beaten worn worn-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

firm healthy hearty solid sound stable strong sturdy

WEAK

fit young

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Decrepit conditions underground mirrored those in the streets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Decrepit school buildings with rancid bathrooms and leaking ceilings.

From New York Times • Mar. 14, 2024

Decrepit systems in poor communities that have caused contaminated water, such as in Flint, Mich., and the Central Valley, will likely be part of the Biden plan.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2021

Decrepit, senile, and miserable, Tithonus eventually shrank into a cicada who stridulated ceaselessly, calling out for release.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 27, 2017

“You don’t have to show me any more. Decrepit outbuildings or not, I’ll take it.”

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Vocabulary lists containing decrepit

The Hunger Games

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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The Fault in Our Stars

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