Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
a dilapidated building exterior
English answer:
eyesore
Added to glossary by
Roddy Stegemann
Jan 30, 2004 14:01
20 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
an old delapidated house
English
Art/Literary
Architecture
old buildings
I am looking for another special term that describes old houses with delapidated exteriors and very refined interiors. Is there such a term?
If you cannot think of one, then at least a single word to describe a run-down building. I am thinking in terms of say a very old, tall apartment or office building whose exterior has gone to ruin for wont of upkeep.
If you cannot think of one, then at least a single word to describe a run-down building. I am thinking in terms of say a very old, tall apartment or office building whose exterior has gone to ruin for wont of upkeep.
Responses
Responses
+1
1 hr
Selected
eyesore
I know an 'eyesore' is mainly used to refer to an aesthetically unpleasing building but it can also be used to describe once-grand builings that have fallen into a state of disrepair. You might want to use an adjective with it though such as 'crumbling'.
Some examples:
Frenetic Mind: loving the neighborhood
... of an eyesore, but you could see that it had glory days and underneath the broken
windows, peeled paint and rotting siding was a beautiful building of some ...
www.lathefamily.org/warren3/blogs/000235.html
Living - The Cincinnati Post
... through and then out of this beautiful building. A long decline began. Finally, it
was empty. As recently as a decade ago, it had become a boarded-up eyesore. ...
www.cincypost.com/2003/10/15/cloon101503.html
Some examples:
Frenetic Mind: loving the neighborhood
... of an eyesore, but you could see that it had glory days and underneath the broken
windows, peeled paint and rotting siding was a beautiful building of some ...
www.lathefamily.org/warren3/blogs/000235.html
Living - The Cincinnati Post
... through and then out of this beautiful building. A long decline began. Finally, it
was empty. As recently as a decade ago, it had become a boarded-up eyesore. ...
www.cincypost.com/2003/10/15/cloon101503.html
Peer comment(s):
agree |
mbc
: Yes, good suggestion. It was an eyesore from the outside but still strangely elegant inside.
3 days 19 hrs
|
Thanks Madeline
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks to everyone. As I often referred to the eyesores of my original question several times, I profitted from several of the other suggestions offered -- in particular ramshackle and derelict."
2 mins
deteriorating exterior
typo: dilapidated house
3 mins
Below
Rickety?
Ramshackle?
Ramshackle?
+1
6 mins
stately building with neglected/run-down exterior
Suggestion - To my knowledge there is no term that covers both cases (neglected on the outside only).
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Nancy Arrowsmith
: concentrate on dilapidated facade, exterior
2 hrs
|
Thank you!
|
7 mins
decrepit
The NEW OXFORD Thesaurus of ENGLISH
run down Øadjective
1 a run-down area of East London
DILAPIDATED, tumbledown, ramshackle, derelict, ruinous, falling to pieces, decrepit, gone to rack and ruin, in ruins, broken-down, crumbling, decaying, disintegrating;
NEGLECTED, uncared-for, unmaintained, depressed, down at heel, seedy, shabby, dingy, slummy, insalubrious, squalid; informal shambly, crummy; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal shacky.
run down Øadjective
1 a run-down area of East London
DILAPIDATED, tumbledown, ramshackle, derelict, ruinous, falling to pieces, decrepit, gone to rack and ruin, in ruins, broken-down, crumbling, decaying, disintegrating;
NEGLECTED, uncared-for, unmaintained, depressed, down at heel, seedy, shabby, dingy, slummy, insalubrious, squalid; informal shambly, crummy; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal shacky.
+2
13 mins
has seen better days, run down,
Roget's Thesaurus: dilapidated
or
battered, run down, wane, deteriorate
or
battered, run down, wane, deteriorate
21 mins
deteriorated, shabby, scruffy
James Q. Wilson and George Kelling developed the `broken windows' thesis to explain the signaling function of neighborhood characteristics. This thesis suggests that the following sequence of events can be expected in deteriorating neighborhoods. Evidence of decay (accumulated trash, broken windows, deteriorated building exteriors) remains in the neighborhood for a reasonably long period of time.
... excellent. The steps here make a shabby house look so so chic. Beautiful
Book. This book is informative and beautifully illustrated. ...
www.growinglifestyle.co.uk/uk/prod/0060392088.html
... country house. It is an agreeable, if scruffy, house, planted in an
excellently run and beautifully maintained farm. Henry's wife ...
www.vstapes.com/hot.html
... excellent. The steps here make a shabby house look so so chic. Beautiful
Book. This book is informative and beautifully illustrated. ...
www.growinglifestyle.co.uk/uk/prod/0060392088.html
... country house. It is an agreeable, if scruffy, house, planted in an
excellently run and beautifully maintained farm. Henry's wife ...
www.vstapes.com/hot.html
+1
28 mins
derelict (facade)
provided it's clear that only the outside is concerned
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-30 15:19:11 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
SLUM
HOVEL
DUMP
PIT
OLD HOUSE IN A SORRY STATE
A CRUMBLING PROPERTY
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-30 15:19:11 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
SLUM
HOVEL
DUMP
PIT
OLD HOUSE IN A SORRY STATE
A CRUMBLING PROPERTY
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Heidi Stone-Schaller
: I like the suggestions in your added note, esp hovel
54 mins
|
neutral |
Gareth McMillan
: Sorry, had to delete my agree- forgot about the "refined interior " bit.
2 hrs
|
neutral |
Textklick
: No word as such IMHO. "Deceptively derelict"? That's my inspiration from looking at a mirror ;-)
8 hrs
|
I agree with you that no word exists. Just tried to inspire him, that's all
|
+2
47 mins
don't think there is such a word
Slum could be an option, but then again slum might suggest a derelict interior as well as the exterior.
HTH though, and enjoy the weekend,
Jacqueline
HTH though, and enjoy the weekend,
Jacqueline
Peer comment(s):
agree |
agtranslat
: You're right. Around here buildings are usually named after their function, not after their condition, unless someone produces some couterexample.
2 days 13 hrs
|
agree |
Eva Olsson
: Possibly, in some cases, you could use safehouse.
3 days 1 hr
|
58 mins
old low-profile houses
:)
1 hr
a wreck/utter wreck/complete wreck/bit of a wreck (depending on how bad it is)
Not sure about the 'nice on the inside' bit (??) but I'd call it a wreck.
2 hrs
a ruin
you can refer to a run-down old building as a ruin
Discussion