HOW TO PRONOUNCE
derelict
/ˈdɛɹəˌlɪk(t)/
Press play to hear how to pronounce derelict.
American Pronunciation Guide · 0:55
Watch on YouTube ↗
Watch on YouTube ↗
What does derelict mean?
adjective
- Given up by the guardian or owner; abandoned, forsaken.
- Of a ship: abandoned at sea; of a spacecraft: abandoned in outer space.
- Of property: in a poor state due to abandonment or neglect; dilapidated, neglected.
More meanings (9)
adjective
- (figuratively) Adrift, lost.
- Negligent in performing a duty; careless.
noun
- Property abandoned by its former guardian or owner; (countable) an item of such property.
- Property abandoned at sea with no hope of recovery and no expectation of being returned to its owner; (countable) an item of such property, especially a ship.
- A person who is negligent in performing a duty.
- (dated) An abandoned or forsaken person; an outcast, a waif.
- (derogatory) A homeless or jobless person; a vagrant; also, a person who is (perceived as) negligent in their hygiene and personal affairs.
verb
- (obsolete, rare) To abandon or forsake (someone or something).
- (obsolete, rare) To neglect a duty.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈdɛɹəˌlɪk(t)/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
"He always forgot to bring home the steak, but he never forgot to lug along some derelict."
Perhaps, in doing so, I shall revive the courage of some other poor derelict hungering after knowledge.
More book examples (3)
To hear your mother call you, denotes that you are derelict in your duties, and that you are pursuing the wrong course in business.
The men working the searchlight, after scouring the entrance of the harbour without seeing anything, then turned the light on the derelict and kept it there.
As they steamed nearer to the derelict they were surprised to note that it was the same vessel that had run from them a few weeks earlier.