OLDER Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

older

adjective

as in elderly

being of advanced years and especially past middle age an older woman was the chief librarian for the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for older

Adjective

Researchers in China found that repeatedly applying gentle pressure to the shinbones of elderly mice improved their strength, coordination, and performance on memory tests.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Hours earlier, Indiana executed a man for killing two children by setting a house fire in 2010, and in Alabama, a man received the last lethal injection of the day for his conviction in the killing of an elderly man and woman in a home robbery.

— KIM CHANDLER, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of elderly

Adjective

There have been lows—trying to manufacture a viral dance in an empty pub alongside a dwarf Michael Jackson impersonator among them—but Skepta is old enough to own those now, and grow from them.

— Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2026
California has a rich and varied history — and San Jose is the oldest civilian community in the state.

— John Ramos, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of old

Adjective

The question is whether emerging science can translate into measurable improvements in skin elasticity and whether those results can be communicated clearly, without turning a complex biological process into the next anti-aging buzzword.

— Amy Francombe, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
There’s a reason it hasn’t been licensed for use as an anti-aging drug.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of aging

Adjective

Kavedza said 161 of the victims were children aged 9 or younger.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
Like Bob Pollard, another classic-rock surrealist, the 43-year-old Hollywell is making the most of a surprise middle-aged career breakthrough by keeping the tape rolling in his home studio at all hours.

— Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of aged

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

olden

older

oldfangled

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Older.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/older. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of older

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

defer

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes