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Definition of oldnext
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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

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
The couple's son, Rocket, 17, was seen posing next to his mom and his 9-year-old triplet siblings — whose names have not been revealed — in a rare photo. Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026 Earlier in the month, Moua Yang, 37, was found with her 40-year-old husband in a car containing 3 pounds of illicit drugs. Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
The 28-year-old hauled in 87 receptions for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns last season, representing the first 1,000-yard campaign of his NFL career. Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025 From the bathroom, the 8-year-old called for Furlong and asked for help with his tie. Laura Kwerel, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for old
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old
Adjective
  • He was found guilty in 2025 of treating an elderly women suffering from liver disease without a medical license.
    Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Rantz cited a recent attack on an elderly woman who was struck in the face with a board containing a nail, leaving her blind.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The Carnegie Museum of Natural History has made the behind-the-scenes inventory of rare fossils and other ancient artifacts available for public viewing for the first time.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Earlier last year, scientists unearthed a new dinosaur, plus its ancient leftovers, in a tourist hot spot in Argentina.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • After nine days of testimony, prosecutors and defense lawyers in the trial of former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales are scheduled to deliver their closing arguments in a Corpus Christi courtroom on Wednesday morning.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
  • In early 2025, a former Dodgers batting practice coach had one of his World Series rings stolen by a duo of Romanian nationals in Arcadia.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Some skyscrapers are quite uniform and rather boring.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Writing that’s as boring as your dullest relative was likely written by a chatbot that can’t see, hear, taste, smell, touch — or feel.
    Karen Stabiner, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Even the name Greenland taps into antiquity thanks to Erik the Red, who was banished here in 982, found a sheltered, green fjord to call home, and named the place Greenland, an embellishment to lure other Norsemen west.
    Tim Neville, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Since successful maritime navigation in antiquity was based on the winds and ocean currents that could be devastating if miscalculated, ships moved from port to port and always kept land in sight.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The tactics, the sources said, included actions that would negatively impact the families of senior CBP staff.
    Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
  • The Titans led by just two with 31 seconds remaining in the game but senior Anish Pagidyala made six free throws in the fourth quarter to keep San Clemente at arm’s length.
    Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Oracles are by their nature enigmatic, obscure, gnomic, a mode that the aleatory perambulations of the Eureka engine would seem predisposed toward producing, but narrative also has a venerable tradition of being mechanically generated, despite the seeming complexity of plot.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Following a delay last year, venerable game studio Bungie's first post-Destiny shooter has finally set a launch date.
    Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The erstwhile quarterback for the Judases should just stay home with Madison Beer, his erstwhile girlfriend, maybe take in a movie.
    Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
  • Inside, a trove of occult objects attests to its erstwhile owner’s conception of the space as a funerary mansion for his soul in the afterlife.
    Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Old.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

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