DECREPIT Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

decrepit

adjective

Definition of decrepit next

as in dilapidated

old and in bad condition or poor health The decrepit building was badly in need of repair. a decrepit old man

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective decrepit contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of decrepit are feeble, fragile, frail, infirm, and weak. While all these words mean "not strong enough to endure strain, pressure, or strenuous effort," decrepit implies being worn-out or broken-down from long use or old age.

the dowager's decrepit retainers

When can feeble be used instead of decrepit?

The meanings of feeble and decrepit largely overlap; however, feeble suggests extreme weakness inviting pity or contempt.

a feeble attempt to walk

When would fragile be a good substitute for decrepit?

In some situations, the words fragile and decrepit are roughly equivalent. However, fragile suggests frailty and brittleness unable to resist rough usage.

a reclusive poet too fragile for the rigors of this world

When might frail be a better fit than decrepit?

While the synonyms frail and decrepit are close in meaning, frail implies delicacy and slightness of constitution or structure.

a frail teenager unable to enjoy sports

When could infirm be used to replace decrepit?

Although the words infirm and decrepit have much in common, infirm suggests instability, unsoundness, and insecurity due to old age or crippling illness.

infirm residents requiring constant care

In what contexts can weak take the place of decrepit?

The words weak and decrepit can be used in similar contexts, but weak applies to deficiency or inferiority in strength or power of any sort.

felt weak after the surgery

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of decrepit The Gray Panthers ran a Media Watch that scolded television shows for portraying the elderly as helpless, confused, or decrepit. —

Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024 The decrepit vampire is obsessed with Ellen Hutter (Depp), the wife of Thomas Hutter (Hoult), a real estate agent sent to Transylvania to find a new estate for Orlok. —

Tim Lammers, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024 There, a young real-estate agent named Thomas Hutter (played by Nicholas Hoult) is dispatched by his boss, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), to a castle in Transylvania, to conclude the sale of a decrepit manor in Wisburg to the mysterious, reclusive Count Orlok. —

Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024 The final scene in the movie is a shot of Depp curled next to a decrepit male figure like Pompeiian victims, surrounded by flowers. —

Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decrepit