derelict
Empty, abandoned and falling to pieces.
derelict in a sentence
- The derelict factory had broken windows and weeds growing through the floor.
- The children were warned never to play in the derelict house at the end of the lane.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to derelict?
- Aabandoned
- Bmaintained
- Coccupied
- Drestored
Show the answer
A: abandoned. The other three mean the opposite of derelict.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to derelict?
- Aruined
- Brestored
- Cdilapidated
- Dabandoned
Show the answer
B: restored. The other three mean nearly the same as derelict.
Words that mean something similar
abandoned, ruined, dilapidated
Words that mean the opposite
restored, maintained, occupied
Careful: derelict is not dilapidated
Derelict means abandoned. Dilapidated means badly looked after, whether or not anyone still uses it. Read why children mix them up.
More words about places & settings
- desolate: Empty, lonely and sad, with nothing and nobody in it.
- dilapidated: Falling to pieces because it has not been looked after.
- domestic: Belonging to the home and family, or tame and kept by people.
- eerie: Strange in a way that makes you feel nervous or scared.
- exotic: Unusual and exciting because it comes from a faraway place.
- expanse: A wide, open stretch of land, sea or sky.
- exterior: The outside part of something.
- grim: Gloomy, harsh and without cheer.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test