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as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest even the most stirring speeches start to get old after you've heard them a few times

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

old

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noun

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an old woman
an elderly woman
an octogenarian woman
a senior woman
a grandmotherly woman
an elder woman
an old house
an outdated house
an obsolete house
a previous house
a former house
an earlier house
old days
ancient days
archaic days
long-past days
in-those days
simpler days
an old town
a historic town
a classic town
a historical town
an ancient town
an old friend
a longtime friend
a past friend
a familiar friend
a longstanding friend
a previous friend

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective old differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of old are ancient, antiquated, antique, archaic, obsolete, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses
an old sweater of mine

When can ancient be used instead of old?

While in some cases nearly identical to old, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

When might antiquated be a better fit than old?

In some situations, the words antiquated and old are roughly equivalent. However, antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

When would antique be a good substitute for old?

The meanings of antique and old largely overlap; however, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

When is archaic a more appropriate choice than old?

While the synonyms archaic and old are close in meaning, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

In what contexts can obsolete take the place of old?

The words obsolete and old are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

When is it sensible to use venerable instead of old?

The words venerable and old can be used in similar contexts, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

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 old
Adjective
In the last three years, the 1-800 number her organization runs has seen a spike in calls from 18 to 20 year olds, and calls from 21 to 25 year olds have tripled. Rachel Hale, USA Today, 14 May 2025 Two 19-year-olds and one 16-year-old were killed, according to a Facebook post from Las Cruces Police. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
Finally, came from an unexpected source: the tiny, stone Presbyterian church that is one of the few surviving structures of the old Fort McDowell. Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025 Delaying tree harvests and protecting older forests enhances carbon sequestration, making untouched forests vital for reducing carbon dioxide and combating climate change. Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for old
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old
Adjective
  • An elderly woman was in the back seat of the car in front of me.
    Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
  • For instance, if a drug is only available as a pill but an elderly patient can't swallow one, a doctor could write a prescription so that a compounding pharmacist could prepare it in liquid form.
    Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • Visitors typically find ancient shark’s teeth and internal molds of ammonites and oyster shells.
    Mark Price, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
  • In Howard Schwartz’s version of Rabbinic folktales, the images and storylines of Jewish folklore become colorful, polymorphic, and wondrous while never losing an aura of ancient scariness.
    Jon Raymond August 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Two incumbents, a former city councilwoman and five others make up a crowded list of candidates vying for at-large seats on the Detroit City Council in the primary.
    Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 27 July 2025
  • The trailer now shows Ashur, a former slave, struggling to be accepted by high society.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 27 July 2025
Adjective
  • There are occasional boring stretches, along with confounding ones.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 Aug. 2025
  • At the end of the day, Stone relied on all of the wardrobe classics to turn boring old sports merch into a sartorial home run.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 31 July 2025
Noun
  • The State Museum was filled with historical artifacts, both from San Marino and, in the case of some Egyptian antiquities, far far away.
    Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 30 July 2025
  • Zahi Hawass, a prominent Egyptologist and former Egyptian minister of antiquities, has hit out at Joe Rogan over claims about the Egyptian pyramids during an interview with The New York Post, following his own appearance on Rogan's podcast.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • The idea is to place officers in certain neighborhoods and inside senior buildings.
    Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 27 July 2025
  • Hubbard, a 30-year-old husband and father living in Dallas, Texas, grew his TikTok account to close to 1 million followers by posting daily videos about the mundane routine of his nine-to-five day job as a senior analyst for a Fortune 500 company.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • When scanned, the code would take its users to a web page with more history and photos of the venerable diving club.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2025
  • There’s no venerable history or fandom that has been passed down for generations.
    Gentry Estes, The Tennessean, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • Tesla, led by President Trump’s erstwhile ally Elon Musk, said that costs tied to tariffs have increased by about $300 million.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 30 July 2025
  • Later that year, Beavis and Butt-head got their series on the erstwhile music channel, running for seven seasons over four years.
    Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 24 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Old.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

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