moth-eaten

adjective

ˈmȯth-ˌē-tᵊn How to pronounce moth-eaten (audio)
Definition of moth-eatennext
1
as in obsolete
having passed its time of use or usefulness moth-eaten scientific theories that no one's believed in ages

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2
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a man who's been wearing the same moth-eaten clothes for decades

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull an uncle who tells the same moth-eaten stories every Thanksgiving

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moth-eaten
  1. obsolete
  2. dilapidated
  3. stereotyped
  4. archaic
  5. neglected
  6. tired
  7. antiquated
  8. hackneyed
Adjective
  • The obsolete buildings are gone, Zurich fills up vacant space, and his village remains on the cutting edge.
    — Alex Nitkin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Golden Gate’s residents have grappled with issues around the complex’s living conditions for years, including mold, rodents and obsolete electrical systems, leading them to file suit in 2020.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of obsolete
Adjective
  • Instead, city staff could first more narrowly issue an order to repair a dilapidated historic building and then expedite approval for those repairs on the back end, without needing a hearing through the Historic Preservation Commission.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The zoo, which houses more than 1,600 animals, has become dilapidated over the years.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Despite their outer appearances and oftentimes stereotyped personalities, the ladies embrace each other’s depths and contradictions.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
  • This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Definition of stereotyped
Adjective
  • And the rest is public perception, which has shifted against what many Americans see as a dirty, archaic form of power generation.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Now, if the league would drop its archaic blackout rules, this would be a lot easier for everyone.
    — Scott Powers, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of archaic
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • His handicapping merited attention and newsletter sales, but Steele soon tired of tipping his own hand to the oddsmakers in Vegas.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • More and more young people are turning toward low- or no-tech lives, tired of the endless scroll most of us face for hours each day.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Additionally, interviews and encounters with the slain officers’ family members also illustrate the cost and harm of a job that was formed in the early 19th century and remains antiquated and unchanged in our 21st-century world.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Today, satellite television barely exists — even cable is antiquated.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of antiquated
Adjective
  • Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.
    — Naveen Kumar, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of hackneyed
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.

Browse Nearby Words

mothballs
moth-eaten
mother
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Cite this Entry

“Moth-eaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moth-eaten. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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