run-down
Use the adjective run-down to describe something that's so old it's falling apart, like a beat up old car or a worn out mattress with springs sticking out of it.
A dingy neighborhood that's seen better days can be called run-down, and so can your decrepit apartment building, with its broken elevator, creaky stairs, and windows that don't close all the way. A person can also be run-down, if he is bent and elderly, or just exhausted from traveling for days or working too many late nights. You can also spell it rundown, although the hyphenated run-down is more common.
Definitions of run-down
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worn and broken down by hard use
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having the spring unwound“a run-down watch”
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Synonyms:
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malfunctioning, nonfunctional
not performing or able to perform its regular function
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malfunctioning, nonfunctional
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘run-down'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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