poorly maintained

Meaning

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Not looked after well, so in bad condition and often needing repair.

   Grammar: Used after linking verbs like be, seem, look, or before a noun with a hyphen: a poorly-maintained road.

   Patterns

   • be poorly maintained
   • a poorly-maintained something

   The apartment is cheap but poorly maintained, with broken windows and peeling paint.

   Residents complained that the park was poorly maintained and full of litter.

   They bought a poorly-maintained house and spent a year fixing it up.

Common combinations

poorly maintained roads

Poorly maintained roads cause accidents and damage cars.

poorly maintained building

The poorly maintained building was closed for safety reasons.

poorly maintained equipment

Poorly maintained equipment can be dangerous to use.

poorly maintained garden

The garden looked poorly maintained, with weeds everywhere.

be poorly maintained

The school is poorly maintained, so parents are raising money for repairs.

Synonyms and how they differ

neglected

Suggests someone forgot or ignored the thing, often with emotional blame; poorly maintained is more neutral and factual about condition.

run-down

Describes a place or area in bad condition, often old and dirty; poorly maintained is more specific to lack of care and repair.

dilapidated

Stronger and more formal; means falling apart and often unsafe, while poorly maintained can be less severe.

Opposites

Word family

maintain verb

To keep something in good condition by checking and repairing it regularly.

maintenance noun

The work of keeping something in good condition.

maintainable adjective

Able to be kept in good condition without too much difficulty.

Commonly confused: poorly maintained or well maintained?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “poorly maintained”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words