Adjective
/destartaˈlaðo/
The adjective "destartalado" refers to something that is disorganized, messy, or in poor condition. It can describe physical objects, like a structure or a piece of furniture, as well as abstract concepts such as thoughts or plans. The term is commonly used in both oral and written contexts, though it may appear slightly more often in descriptive writing given its specificity.
"Destartalado" is not one of the most frequent adjectives in everyday conversation but is understood and used by speakers when discussing the state of disarray or disorganization.
The house was left messy after the party.
Su cabello estaba destartalado y necesitaba un corte.
Her hair was disheveled and needed a haircut.
El viejo coche destartalado no pudo pasar la revisión.
While "destartalado" itself is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions, it can feature in phrases that express disarray or chaos. Here are some examples:
He lived in such a messy place that the walls were falling down.
Después del huracán, la ciudad estaba destartalada y llena de escombros.
After the hurricane, the city was messy and full of debris.
Sus ideas estaban tan destartaladas que no sabía por dónde empezar.
His ideas were so disheveled that he didn't know where to start.
La reunión terminó en un caos destartalado, sin ninguna decisión clara.
The meeting ended in a disorganized chaos, with no clear decision.
La biblioteca se veía destartalada con libros esparcidos por todas partes.
The term "destartalado" originates from the Spanish verb "startalar," which refers to falling apart or being out of order. The prefix "des-" denotes a lack or absence, suggesting a state of disarray or being undone.