1
as in neglectful
failing to give proper care and attention
the guards were judged derelict in their duty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disused
left unoccupied or unused
purchased an old derelict mansion that was rumored to be haunted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bum
an idle worthless person
a section of the city that seemed to be frequented mostly by derelicts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of derelict
Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
The club left behind a wealth of memories along with a site that then lay derelict for two years, with travellers setting up home in the car park.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 12 Aug. 2024
The association has raised concerns about pollution from boats that illegally dump their waste into the bay, about the damage their anchors cause to seagrass and about the cost of dealing with derelict vessels abandoned by their owners.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 3 Sep. 2024
The power station, which is famous for gracing the cover of the Pink Floyd album Animals, was decommissioned in 1983 and lay derelict for almost 30 years.
—Jamie Hailstone, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for derelict
Adjective
The Abbey in the Oakwood is similarly enigmatic, featuring a derelict cemetery with tilting tombstones and the ruins of a church amid leafless trees, as is Greifswald in Moonlight, a nighttime scene of fishing vessels at low tide with a German city in the haze.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
The club left behind a wealth of memories along with a site that then lay derelict for two years, with travellers setting up home in the car park.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 12 Aug. 2024
The association has raised concerns about pollution from boats that illegally dump their waste into the bay, about the damage their anchors cause to seagrass and about the cost of dealing with derelict vessels abandoned by their owners.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 3 Sep. 2024
The power station, which is famous for gracing the cover of the Pink Floyd album Animals, was decommissioned in 1983 and lay derelict for almost 30 years.
—Jamie Hailstone, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for derelict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derelict
Adjective
-
The Kentucky Humane Society is actively caring for 35 horses at Willow Hope Farm after rescuing 10 in emaciated and neglectful conditions in Franklin County Wednesday morning.—
Marina Johnson,
The Courier-Journal,
20 Dec. 2024
-
Two pit bulls were rescued from their allegedly neglectful owner and her uninhabitable home on Wednesday, Feb. 19, according to a Sunday, Feb. 23 Suffolk County SPCA news release.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
One of the most powerful scenes in Sugarcane takes place in a disused barn where, over a period of decades, Indigenous children worked under the lash.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Feb. 2025
-
McQueen spends half an hour dispassionately showing us the grimness of HMP Maze, a Troubles-era warehouse for enemies of the British state on a disused airfield.—
IndieWire Staff,
IndieWire,
12 Aug. 2024
Noun
-
This was all done with a bum wrist, which posed as an inconvenience to him at times.—
Hannah Kirby,
Journal Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2024
-
Tommy, left to prosecute the case against Rusty, has inherited a bum gig.—
Vinson Cunningham,
The New Yorker,
26 July 2024
Adjective
-
The Heat committed 14 turnovers, several of them particularly careless, and shot just 9 for 37 (24.3 percent) on threes.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
-
Nests are usually placed on a horizontal conifer branch less than 10 feet above the ground, which makes sense, given the careless, rickety appearance of their design.—
Matt Kracht,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The beggars, widows, and families with sick relatives who once made a pilgrimage to the gates of the parliament building in the Green Zone to beg lawmakers for help are now barred from entry.—
Ned Parker,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2012
-
All the beggars at the intersection of Lee Road and the off-ramp of I-4 are completely out of hand.—
Ticked Off,
Orlando Sentinel,
18 July 2024
Adjective
-
James River Virginia Flowing right through Richmond, the James River is an urban tubing experience with scenic views of the Richmond skyline and a mix of lazy sections and small rapids.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Some scammers are truly lazy, as was the case here, and don’t even try to obfuscate it.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The team had a group task to accomplish, yes, but at every checkpoint, people had to make the decision to be selfish or selfless, and the selfish ones got rewarded while the selfless were left abandoned and miserable on the loch.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
-
But the findings won’t be able to say how abandoned land should be managed, or whether people should try to manage it at all.—
ByDan Charles,
science.org,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Extra hooks allow the bag to transform into a trapezoidal hobo shape.—
Joelle Diderich,
WWD,
19 Sep. 2024
-
There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.—
Lindy Segal,
Glamour,
13 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Derelict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derelict. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share