What does decrepit mean?
"Decrepit" is an adjective describing something worn out, broken down, or weakened by age, neglect, or long use. It applies most often to physical things — buildings, cars, furniture, infrastructure — whose condition has visibly deteriorated: a decrepit barn sags on rotten beams, a decrepit bus rattles toward the scrapyard. It can also describe people who have become frail and infirm through old age, though this use can sound harsh or pitying. The word carries strongly negative connotations of decay beyond simple repair, suggesting something so far gone that replacement may matter more than restoration. Derived from the Latin "decrepitus," meaning grown old and feeble, it entered English in the early seventeenth century. Its noun form, "decrepitude," names the state of being worn down with age, whether of bodies or buildings. For writers, "decrepit" offers vivid precision: it conveys not merely oldness but visible, structural collapse under the weight of years.
adjectiveWorn out or ruined because of age or neglect; weakened by long use or by old age, so as to be in very poor condition.
- (of a building or object) Worn out or ruined due to age or neglect; dilapidated.
- (of a person) Weakened and enfeebled by old age.
"The once-grand hotel stood decrepit at the end of the pier, its windows boarded and its paint peeling."
"They bought the house cheaply because it was so decrepit that no one else would touch it."
"By ninety he had grown too decrepit to climb the stairs unaided."
"Decrepit" comes straight from the Latin for "grown old and feeble" — so when you call a building decrepit, you're literally calling it an old person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of decrepit
"Decrepit" derives from Latin "decrepitus," meaning aged, feeble, or worn out, formed from the root of "crepare," to crack or creak (the same root behind "decrease," via "crescere," to grow). English adopted the word from Latin in the early seventeenth century, retaining the sense of enfeebled by age. The related noun "decrepitude" came into English around the same period from the same Latin source.
How decrepit is actually used
Standard in both formal and informal registers. Applied figuratively as well as literally — machines, systems, institutions, and vehicles are commonly described as decrepit. When applied to people it carries a somewhat clinical or pitying tone, so choose carefully in polite contexts.
Easily confused with decrepit
"Desperate" means feeling or showing despair or urgency, while "decrepit" describes something worn out or in poor condition from age.