INDEX:
the condition that something is in
1. the condition of something
2. in a good condition
3. buildings or places in bad condition
4. furniture, cars, or machines that are in bad condition
5. things made of paper or cloth that are in bad condition
6. to get into bad condition
a condition that something depends on
7. something that must happen before something else can happen
8. in an agreement or contract
9. when you agree to do something if something else happens
10. without any conditions
RELATED WORDS
the conditions you live in : ↑ SITUATION
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1. the condition of something
▷ condition /kənˈdɪʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
whether something is broken or not broken, damaged or not damaged, dirty or clean etc :
▪ The price of used cars varies according to their condition.
▪ How well your plants will grow depends on the quality and condition of the soil.
be in (a) good/bad/reasonable etc condition
▪ The basic structure of the house is in very good condition.
▪ Our science laboratories were in such a terrible condition we’ve had to close them.
▪ I’m not buying anything until I see what kind of condition it’s in.
▷ state /steɪt/ [countable noun]
the condition of something - use this especially when something is in bad condition because it has not been well looked after :
the state of something
▪ One of the things people complain of most is the state of the sidewalks.
▪ Given the general state of his health, it may take him a while to recover from the operation.
in a good/bad/reasonable etc state
▪ When I got back home, I was horrified to see what a terrible state the kitchen was in.
in a sorry state
in very bad condition
▪ Most of the country’s existing schools are in a sorry state of disrepair.
2. in a good condition
▷ in good condition /ɪn ˌgʊd kənˈdɪʃ ə n/ [adjective phrase]
something that is in good condition is not broken and has no marks or other things wrong with it :
▪ The car hadn’t been used much, and was in very good condition.
▪ The charity is accepting toys and clothing in good condition.
▪ The 3,000-year-old tools are still in such good condition it looks almost as if they were made yesterday.
▷ in good shape /ɪn ˌgʊd ˈʃeɪp/ [adjective phrase]
something that is in good shape is in good condition - use this especially when you do not really expect it to be or when it was not always in such good condition :
▪ Doctor Morrissey told her that her leg was healing well, and was now in very good shape.
▪ To avoid accidents, it’s important to check that all your tools are in good shape before starting.
▷ in good nick /ɪn ˌgʊd ˈnɪk/ [adjective phrase] British informal
use this especially about something such as a car or a piece of equipment that is old or used, but is still in good condition and working well :
▪ She keeps her car in really good nick.
▪ My stereo’s quite old but it’s still in pretty good nick.
▷ in perfect/mint condition /ɪn ˌpɜːʳfɪkt, ˌmɪnt kənˈdɪʃ ə n/ [adjective phrase]
something that is in perfect or mint condition looks as good or works as well as when it was new, especially because it has not been used or touched very much :
▪ The book is over 100 years old, but it’s still in perfect condition.
▪ I can’t believe it. She’s selling me her car for only £800 and it’s still in mint condition.
▷ as good as new /əz ˌgʊd əz ˈnjuːǁ-ˈnuː/ [adjective phrase] especially spoken
something that is as good as new is almost as good as when it was new - use this about things that have recently been cleaned or repaired :
▪ I’ve just had the bike serviced, and it looks as good as new.
3. buildings or places in bad condition
▷ in bad condition also in a bad state especially British /ɪn ˌbæd kənˈdɪʃ ə n, ɪn ə ˌbæd ˈsteɪt/ [adjective phrase]
▪ It’s a lovely city, but most of the buildings are in very bad condition.
▪ Considering the bad condition the place is in, the price seems much too high.
▪ The inspectors said the bridge was in a bad state and potentially dangerous.
be in a terrible/dreadful etc condition
▪ The house really is in an awful condition - it would cost far too much to repair.
▷ dilapidated /dɪˈlæpədeɪtəd, dəˈlæpədeɪtəd/ [adjective]
a building that is dilapidated is in very bad condition because it has not been looked after or has not been repaired for a long time :
▪ We stayed in an old, dilapidated hotel with a leaky roof.
▪ Jesse was raised in a large, dilapidated house on the East Side.
▪ Some of the old homes in Newville are well kept, but others are dilapidated.
▷ run-down /ˌrʌn ˈdaʊn◂/ [adjective]
a run-down area of a town is one in which the buildings and roads are all in bad condition, especially because the people who live there do not have enough money to look after them properly :
▪ Since the textile company moved out, the area’s gotten very run-down.
▪ The men were hiding in an abandoned theater in a run-down part of the city.
▷ derelict /ˈderɪlɪkt, ˈderəlɪkt/ [adjective]
something, such as a house or piece of land, that is derelict is in very bad condition because it has been empty and not used for a very long time :
▪ In the middle of town is a derelict building that used to be the school.
▪ The land behind the factory is stony and derelict.
▷ ramshackle /ˈræmʃæk ə l/ [adjective only before noun]
a building that is ramshackle is in very bad condition and looks as though it is likely to fall down, especially because it was badly built, with cheap materials :
▪ No one had lived in the ramshackle farmhouse for years.
▷ crumbling /ˈkrʌmblɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
a crumbling building or wall is breaking into pieces because it is very old and damaged by the weather :
▪ Tourists wandered through the crumbling remains of an ancient Greek temple.
▪ Elvira lived on a street of old townhouses with crumbling façades.
▷ tumbledown /ˈtʌmb ə ldaʊn/ [adjective only before noun] especially British
tumbledown building/ house/cottage etc
use this about a building that is old and beginning to fall down, especially in a way that seems attractive :
▪ We arrived at a tumbledown cottage, surrounded by overgrown rose bushes and a broken fence.
▪ The college was a collection of tumbledown old buildings in Paddington.
4. furniture, cars, or machines that are in bad condition
▷ in bad condition/shape also in a bad state especially British /ɪn ˌbæd kənˈdɪʃ ə n, ˈʃeɪp, ɪn ə ˌbæd ˈsteɪt/ [adjective phrase]
▪ When I bought the chairs they were in very bad condition.
▪ The car’s in pretty bad shape, but I’ll give you $300 for it.
be in terrible/dreadful etc condition/shape
▪ It’s a nice piece of furniture, but in such terrible condition you won’t get much money for it.
▷ rickety /ˈrɪkɪti, ˈrɪkəti/ [adjective]
furniture and other structures that are rickety are in such bad condition that they look as if they would break if you tried to use them :
▪ The staircase was old and rickety.
▪ They sat around the card table on rickety old chairs.
▪ a rickety bamboo fence
▷ battered /ˈbætəʳd/ [adjective]
something that is battered is old and in bad condition because it has been used a lot and treated roughly :
▪ There was nothing in his office except for a few battered chairs.
▪ Alex and Lisa used to drive around town in a battered old Fiat Uno.
▷ be falling apart /biː ˌfɔːlɪŋ əˈpɑːʳt/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
if something is falling apart, it is gradually breaking into pieces, because it is old or badly made :
▪ I need some new shoes. These are falling apart.
▪ San Diego’s public buildings are falling apart, but the city refuses to do anything about it.
▷ be on its last legs /biː ɒn ɪts ˌlɑːst ˈlegzǁ-ˌlæst-/ [verb phrase]
if something is on its last legs, it has been used so much and is in such bad condition that you will soon not be able to use it any more :
▪ The old car was on its last legs, and Renee knew she wouldn’t be able to afford a new one.
▷ has seen better days /həz siːn ˌbetəʳ ˈdeɪz/ [verb phrase]
if something has seen better days it is not in the good condition it once was in, because it is old or has been used a lot :
▪ The carpets, curtains, and cushions had all seen better days but still looked quite pretty.
▪ She lived in a rambling Victorian house that had certainly seen better days.
▷ clapped-out /ˌklæpt ˈaʊt◂/ British informal /beat-up /ˌbiːt ˈʌp◂/ American informal [adjective usually before noun]
use this about a vehicle or machine that is so old that it does not work properly :
▪ Of course the carpet’s a mess - all we’ve got is a clapped-out old vacuum cleaner.
▪ She drives an old beat-up Ford.
5. things made of paper or cloth that are in bad condition
▷ shabby /ˈʃæbi/ [adjective]
clothes, books etc that look shabby are no longer in good condition because they are old and have been used a lot :
▪ John was standing in the doorway in his shabby blue suit.
▪ She wore shabby black clothes, with holes in the elbows of her jacket.
shabbiness [uncountable noun]
▪ She tried to ignore the faded carpet and the shabbiness of the curtains.
▷ worn /wɔːʳn/ [adjective]
something such as material or cloth that is worn is thinner or weaker in particular parts as a result of being used a lot over a long time :
▪ There was a worn Persian rug on the parquet floor.
▪ We used to cut up worn blankets to make sleeping bags for the children.
▪ The brake pads are very worn.
▷ tattered /ˈtætəʳd/ [adjective]
clothes or books that are tattered are old and torn :
▪ The old man clutched a tattered copy of ‘War and Peace’.
▪ The shirt was now tattered beyond recognition.
tatters [plural noun]
in tatters
▪ Her clothes were in tatters, but she held two bottles of expensive whiskey under her arms.
▷ threadbare /ˈθredbeəʳ/ [adjective]
clothes, curtains, carpets etc that are threadbare have become extremely thin and weak because they have been used so much :
▪ She stood shivering in her threadbare dress.
▪ There was a clean but threadbare rug on the floor beside the bed.
▷ tatty /ˈtæti/ [adjective] British
clothes or books that are tatty are in bad condition and slightly torn because they have been used a lot :
▪ At the window of the cottage hang tatty, faded curtains.
▪ Some of our textbooks are starting to look rather tatty.
▷ battered /ˈbætəʳd/ [adjective]
something that is battered is in bad condition and looks old especially because it has been used a lot :
▪ He carried the same battered green journal with him on all his travels.
▪ a battered old suitcase
▷ dog-eared /ˈdɒg ɪəʳdǁˈdɔːg-/ [adjective]
a book, page, photograph etc that is dog-eared is torn and bent at the edges because it has been used a lot :
▪ Professor Brightly walked into the lecture hall with a pile of dog-eared notes under his arm.
▪ On the other wall was a dog-eared calendar with faded pictures.
6. to get into bad condition
▷ fall into disrepair /ˌfɔːl ɪntə ˌdɪsrɪˈpeəʳ/ [verb phrase]
if a building, structure, or machine falls into disrepair, its condition gradually becomes worse because no one looks after it :
▪ Dave and Sally couldn’t afford to get anything done to the house and it fell into disrepair.
▪ Standing in the fields were pieces of farm machinery that had long since fallen into disrepair.
▷ go to rack and ruin /gəʊ tə ˌræk ənd ˈruːə̇n/ [verb phrase]
if something goes to rack and ruin, its condition gets worse and worse and no one tries to repair it until it becomes impossible to save or repair :
let something go to rack and ruin
▪ He’s let his father’s old house go to rack and ruin.
▪ It seems that the government is prepared to let all our hospitals and schools go to rack and ruin.
7. something that must happen before something else can happen
▷ condition /kənˈdɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
condition for/of
▪ Finance ministers claimed that all the conditions for economic revival were already in place.
▪ In her view, women’s full participation in the labor market is a necessary condition of equality.
meet a condition
▪ The Chancellor says that five conditions have to be met before the UK joins the Euro.
▷ precondition /ˌpriːkənˈdɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun] formal
a situation that has to exist before something else can happen :
precondition to/for/of
▪ The president has demanded that the rebels turn in their weapons as a precondition to any talks.
▪ One of the most obvious preconditions for economic growth is a stable government.
▷ prerequisite /priːˈrekwɪzət, priːˈrekwəzət/ [countable noun] formal
something that you must have before something else is possible :
prerequisite for/of
▪ Adequate food and shelter are the minimum prerequisites of a decent life.
▪ Some knowledge of the French language is a prerequisite for employment there.
8. in an agreement or contract
▷ condition /kənˈdɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
something that is stated in an agreement or contract as being necessary before something else can happen or be allowed :
▪ After two weeks of negotiations the two sides still cannot agree on the conditions.
condition of
▪ One of the conditions of the agreement was that both sides would call an immediate ceasefire.
▪ It is a condition of my contract with the university that I spend half of the summer vacation doing research.
meet/satisfy a condition
do what is demanded by a condition
▪ The World Bank will only agree to make this loan if certain conditions are met.
lay down/impose a condition
state what must be done
▪ The Pentagon laid down strict conditions regarding the export of these weapons.
under the conditions of something
according to what is stated in an agreement
▪ Under the conditions of the GATT trade agreement, farm subsidies would be gradually phased out.
▷ terms /tɜːʳmz/ [plural noun]
the conditions that are stated in a written agreement, contract, or legal document :
terms of
▪ The president refused to reveal the terms of the peace agreement to the press.
▪ The lawyers think we should alter the terms of our contract with the computer company.
under the terms of something
according to the terms of an agreement
▪ Under the terms of the will, Mallory could only inherit the family home if he agreed to continue living there.
▷ requirements /rɪˈkwaɪəʳmənts/ [plural noun]
a set of things that you must do or must achieve in order to be officially allowed to do or have something :
▪ A high grade in mathematics is one of the requirements for entry to medical school.
meet/satisfy/fulfil requirements
do what is necessary
▪ The company’s child safety seats did not meet the standards for crash safety.
▪ The business does not satisfy all the requirements necessary to qualify for tax concessions.
▷ proviso /prəˈvaɪzəʊ/ [countable noun]
a single condition that you make before you agree to do something :
▪ He agreed to do the work, but there was one proviso - he wanted to be paid in cash.
with the proviso that
▪ Bill had left the money to his grandson, with the proviso that it should be spent on his education.
▷ stipulation /ˌstɪpjɑˈleɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
a particular condition that is clearly stated as part of an agreement :
▪ The union is pressing for higher pay but has made no stipulations about the numbers of workers to be employed.
with the stipulation that
▪ The company agreed to hire the law firm, with the stipulation that they hire more women lawyers.
9. when you agree to do something if something else happens
▷ on condition that /ɒn kənˈdɪʃ ə n ðət/ [conjunction]
if you agree to do something on condition that something else happens, you will only do it if this thing happens :
▪ Ron lent me the money on condition that I paid it back within three weeks.
▪ General Motors agreed to supply trucks to the Chinese government on condition that they altered their pricing policy on cars.
on one condition
if this one thing is done
▪ You can borrow the car on one condition - that you promise to be back before midnight.
▷ be conditional on/upon /kənˈdɪʃ ə nəl ɒn, əˌpɒn/ [verb phrase]
if an offer, agreement, or someone’s permission is conditional on something else, it will only be given if something else happens :
▪ Offers of financial aid were conditional upon the company changing its management structure.
▪ Permission to use firearms is conditional on the consent of the Chief of Police.
conditional [adjective]
▪ They have made us a conditional offer
10. without any conditions
▷ unconditional /ˌʌnkənˈdɪʃ ə nəl◂/ [adjective usually before noun]
unconditional surrender/release/agreement etc
an agreement or offer that is unconditional is made without any conditions :
▪ The general said he would fight on until the enemy agreed to an unconditional surrender.
▪ They are campaigning for the unconditional release of all political prisoners.
unconditionally [adverb]
▪ If you are not completely satisfied with our service, we will unconditionally refund your money.
▷ no strings attached /nəʊ ˌstrɪŋz əˈtætʃt/ [noun phrase]
if you offer something or ask for something with no strings attached, you offer it or ask for it without stating any conditions and without trying to get an advantage for yourself :
▪ Emergency food aid should be given with no strings attached.
▪ Before you accept the loan you’d better make sure that there are no strings attached.