moth-eaten

adjective

moth-eat·​en ˈmȯth-ˌē-tᵊn 

1

: eaten into by moth larvae

moth-eaten clothes

2

a

: dilapidated

b

: antiquated, outmoded

Synonyms

• antiquated
• archaic
• dated
• démodé
• demoded
• fossilized
• kaput
• kaputt
• medieval
• mediaeval
• moribund
• mossy
• neolithic
• Noachian
• obsolete
• out-of-date
• outdated
• outmoded
• outworn
• passé
• prehistoric
• prehistorical
• rusty
• Stone Age
• superannuated

Examples of moth-eaten in a Sentence

moth-eaten scientific theories that no one's believed in ages

a man who's been wearing the same moth-eaten clothes for decades

an uncle who tells the same moth-eaten stories every Thanksgiving

Recent Examples on the Web

When clothing is moth-eaten, see Ronald Moore at French-American Reweaving Co. (119 W. 57th St.; 212-765-4670). —The Editors, Curbed, 9 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for moth-eaten

• sisseton
• unbeaten
• uneaten
• wahpeton
• beaten
• cretin
• eaten
• sweeten
• teton
• wheaten
• phenacetin

Kids Definition

moth-eaten

adjective

moth-eat·​en

ˈmȯ-ˌthēt-ᵊn

1

: eaten into by moths

moth-eaten clothes

2

: so old as to be no longer acceptable or usable