adj

derelict

DEHR-uh-lihkt

adj

Abandoned and left to fall into disrepair.

"The derelict factory has been empty for over a decade."

"Kids used to dare each other to explore the derelict house on the hill."

noun

Property, or occasionally a person, abandoned and left with nobody to care for it.

"The ship was found adrift, a derelict with no crew aboard."

How to Use Derelict

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLeft to rot or fall apart because nobody is looking after it anymore.

Common pairings

derelict building derelict ship fall derelict

more derelict comparative, derelicted past tense, derelicts plural, derelicts singular, most derelict superlative

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The _____ factory has been empty for over a decade.

From Latin derelictus, "completely abandoned," the past participle of derelinquere, "to abandon utterly."