decrepit
/dɪˈkɹɛp.ɪt/adjective
decrepit is spelled D-E-C-R-E-P-I-T: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, decrepit means “Weakened or worn out from age or wear” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in decrepit?
| Letters | 8: D-E-C-R-E-P-I-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 38,416th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is decrepit?
Decrepit appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce decrepit?
- /dɪˈkɹɛp.ɪt/
- /dəˈkɹɛp.ɪd/
- Australia /dəˈkɹɛp.ɪd/
Decrepit has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-decrepit.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of decrepit
- more decrepit comparative
- most decrepit superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does decrepit mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Weakened or worn out from age or wear.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Decrepit in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense weakened or worn out:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | décrépit, décati |
| German | heruntergekommen, gammelig, gebrechlich, abgenutzt, altersschwach, verbraucht |
| Portuguese | decrépito |
| Spanish | decrépito, destartalado, venido a menos, ruinoso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does decrepit come from?
From Middle English decrepyt (ante 1439), from Middle French décrépit, from Latin dēcrepitus (“very old”), from crepō (“to creak”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).