decrepit
UK[dɪˈkrepɪt]US[dɪˈkrepɪt]
adj
worn out or ruined because of age or neglect.
adj
(of a person) elderly and infirm.
Etymology
the word "decrepit" entered english in the late 15th century from the latin adjective "decrepitus," meaning "very old, infirm, broken down." this latin term is itself a compound, formed from the intensive prefix "de-" and the past participle "crepitus" of the verb "crepare," meaning "to crack, creak, or rattle." the logic is vividly metaphorical: something that is "decrepit" is so worn with age that it makes a cracking or rattling sound. the verb "crepare" is believed to be of imitative origin, echoing the sound it describes. thus, the modern abstract meaning of being feeble or dilapidated evolved from this literal ancient concept of an object noisily breaking down from age.
Analysis
the word is a simplex unit borrowed whole from latin. it is not productively formed from separable english morphemes.
Examples
they lived in a decrepit old house at the end of the lane.
he was too decrepit to manage the long walk to the village.
the decrepit state of the infrastructure was a danger to the public.