derelict
adjective
, ˈde-rə-\
Definition of derelict
(Entry 1 of 2)
derelict
nounDefinition of derelict (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for derelict
Synonyms: Adjective
careless, disregardful, lax, lazy, neglectful, neglecting, negligent, remiss, slack
Synonyms: Noun
bum, do-nothing, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, no-account, no-good, no-goodnik, slacker, vagrant
Antonyms: Adjective
attentive, careful, conscientious, nonnegligent
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Examples of derelict in a Sentence
Adjective
The officer was charged with being derelict in his duty. the guards were judged derelict in their dutyNoun
It was a run-down neighborhood filled with drugs addicts and derelicts. a section of the city that seemed to be frequented mostly by derelicts
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Many half-derelict century-old commercial buildings have been redeveloped into loft apartments or scrapped and replaced with snazzy new buildings. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, "Real World Economics: Weighing the value of what we spend," 18 Aug. 2019 The searchers crest a hill where a derelict trailer creaks in the wind, then follow the slope down toward a clearing. — Eric Ogden, Marie Claire, "The Invisible Victims," 10 June 2019 Starlink is a big game with seven rather large planets and dozens of quests, plus lots of things to do in space and planetside (scanning animals, exploring derelict ships, etc.). — Daniel Starkey, Ars Technica, "Starlink: Battle for Atlas review: Cool toys, solid spacefaring," 16 Oct. 2018 Formerly overgrown derelict government railway land, the garden is a labor of love created over 20 years by Wendy. — Sophie Davies, Condé Nast Traveler, "16 Best Parks in Sydney," 20 Mar. 2018 Neighbors in Airport Heights found a welcome sight Thursday: An excavator in the driveway of a empty, derelict house that had been attracting squatters and other problems. — Devin Kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "An abandoned home is sold. An Anchorage neighborhood rejoices.," 29 June 2018 Windows were broken in the house, the kitchen ceiling was collapsing and outside, several pieces of derelict farm equipment sat rusting. — John Maccormack, San Antonio Express-News, "Old American colony in Mexico clings to its past," 18 May 2018 The property was so derelict auction attendees were asked to sign a waiver before entering. — Jessica Mudditt, CNN, "Would you pay $1.1M for this derelict Sydney house?," 18 Apr. 2018 Dozens of new restaurants and shops are opening; residential construction projects break ground regularly; once-derelict high-rises downtown have filled up with a new generation of workers. — John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Hudson's site project: Your questions answered," 18 Jan. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
A decade later, in 1998, the derelict art gallery reached the end of its run — and the mudflats would get more thorough cleaning. — Bill Van Niekerken, SFChronicle.com, "Remembering Emeryville’s mudflat art — and why the mud won out," 28 Aug. 2019 Refuah had bought a derelict brick high school in 2008, only to discover that it was riddled with asbestos. — Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, "The Message of Measles," 26 Aug. 2019 Nearby property owners couldn't be happier to finally see the derelict shopping center gone. — Steve Brown, Dallas News, "Valley View gone: Teardown of Dallas shopping mall boosts nearby property owners," 23 Aug. 2019 For nearly a year, Goodman and her six children—two of them adopted after being abandoned at birth—had been living in a derelict but functional three-bedroom house in the historically black Peoplestown neighborhood of Atlanta. — Brian Goldstone, The New Republic, "The New American Homeless," 21 Aug. 2019 Other buildings were derelict, waiting to be condemned. — Los Angeles Times, "After 9 years on L.A.’s streets, Big Mama needed a home. But it wasn’t that easy," 15 Aug. 2019 Pedro has been a faithful servant, and a useful one, but the rest of those represent a dereliction of duty, with the baffling purchase of Papy Djilobodji, soon to be of couldn't-get-a-kick-at-Sunderland fame, the most derelict of the lot. — SI.com, "Ranking Every Chelsea Summer Transfer Window Since 2002," 10 Aug. 2019 The Sea Galley was demolished this week after sitting charred and derelict for several months. — Author: Madeline Mcgee, Anchorage Daily News, "Months after string of Anchorage business fires, questions still remain," 15 Aug. 2019 What, Batts wanted to know, did Morrissey think about Petersburg’s problem with derelict buildings? — Washington Post, "Issues of race and scandal pulse through Virginia primary contest," 6 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'derelict.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for derelict
derelict
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of derelict
(Entry 1 of 2)
derelict
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of derelict (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for derelict in the English Language Learners Dictionary