as in elderly
showing a loss of mental ability (such as memory) in old age
a senile man in his eighties Her mother is becoming senile.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of senile
Don Quixote himself is too often a senile dodderer; Daniel Rubin was creaky in body but youthfully quixotic in spirit.
—
Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Mar. 2023
But Benjamin Smith, a professor of Latin American history at the University of Warwick in Britain, said the tweet could further fuel ongoing rumors that López Obrador, 69, is senile or otherwise unfit to govern.
—Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2023
In the Kremlin’s propaganda, Biden is now invariably portrayed as senile, sleepy and out of touch.
—David E. Sanger, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Feb. 2023
Trump regularly claimed during the 2020 campaign that Biden was senile.
—Dallas News, 9 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for senile
Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Mar. 2023
But Benjamin Smith, a professor of Latin American history at the University of Warwick in Britain, said the tweet could further fuel ongoing rumors that López Obrador, 69, is senile or otherwise unfit to govern.
—Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2023
In the Kremlin’s propaganda, Biden is now invariably portrayed as senile, sleepy and out of touch.
—David E. Sanger, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Feb. 2023
Trump regularly claimed during the 2020 campaign that Biden was senile.
—Dallas News, 9 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for senile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for senile
Adjective
-
The Low Income Energy Assistance Program provides a one-time payment to households with disabled or elderly people to help cover heating costs, according to the NCDHHS website.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The proportion of elderly is too high – accounting for nearly 30% of the entire population, according to the new data – while the proportion of younger adults, of child-bearing and working age, is continually shrinking.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The most recent bill targets the nation's oldest and largest teachers' union's ability to lobby.—
Angele Latham,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Today, Khamenei ranks among the world’s oldest and longest-serving heads of state.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Higher costs Tariffs are disproportionately impacting Black business owners like Blackshear-Calloway and Dosso, said Andre Perry, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.—
Arriana McLymore,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
-
According to Daniel Dale, senior reporter and fact-checker for CNN, all of these claims are false.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senile. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share