ENGLISH
REFERENCE

clapped

adj.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈkɫæpt// UK //klˈæpt// clapped Slang

adj. very old, broken, or in bad condition. You use this to describe things like cars or buildings that look like they are falling apart.

adj. worn out, exhausted, or in a state of advanced disrepair. Often used in British English to describe machinery or vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life.


SIMPLE

He drives a clapped out old car.

CONTEXTUAL

The landlord refused to replace the clapped boiler even though it made a loud banging noise every night.

COMPLEX

After twenty years of heavy use in the factory, the machinery was completely clapped and required constant maintenance just to keep the production line moving.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Commonly appears in the phrasal adjective form 'clapped out'. Often follows a linking verb like 'is' or 'looks'.

Pitfall

The car clapped yesterday.The car is clapped.In this slang sense, the word is an adjective describing a state, not a verb describing an action.

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