1
as in elderly
being of advanced years and especially past middle age
every day the old fisherman set out in his small boat to brave the dangers of the sea
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
dating or surviving from the distant past
an extremely old piece of jewelry was discovered in the Egyptian ruins
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in former
having been such at some previous time
I ran into my old fourth-grade teacher yesterday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
an old woman
an old town
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
Zoe Sottile, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
The 60-year-old called into The View for her segment, which ran for under 30 minutes.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
AFAR Media, 11 July 2025
The older elephants surround it, allowing the youngster to relax and play in the water while being protected from crocodiles lurking nearby.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for old
Adjective
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
The 60-year-old called into The View for her segment, which ran for under 30 minutes.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
Cape Florida Light The Cape Florida Light, in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on the tip of Key Biscayne, is the oldest lighthouse in the state.
—AFAR Media, 11 July 2025
The older elephants surround it, allowing the youngster to relax and play in the water while being protected from crocodiles lurking nearby.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for old
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old
Adjective
-
States and food pantries cannot cover food for needy elderly, children and the disabled without federal support.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 July 2025
-
An Australian woman was on Monday convicted of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms, and attempting to murder a fourth, in a case that gripped the country.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
Spanning about 30 hectares (74 ac), this ancient landscape has been under the microscope since the 1980s, thanks to pioneering archaeologist Dietrich Mania.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Reed Hastings, co-founder and former CEO of Netflix, has signed on as an executive producer of the upcoming crime-thriller 52nd State, which is currently in production in Bogota, Colombia.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
-
Nic’s former connection, Cierra, who was kicked off the show for using a racial slur in a past social media post, subtly supported her former partner’s new connection with her best friend.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
The main reason Jacksonville is so boring, FinanceBuzz found, is that much of its population is thinly scattered across the city.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
-
GoPro has also dropped a white version and a forest green version if black is too boring for you.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the local government lacks the resources to step in; the antiquities authority itself has no financial allocations or operational budget in a country devastated by over a decade of war.—
Smithsonian Magazine,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 June 2025
-
Fifty priceless artifacts looted from Egypt and Pakistan — and trafficked through Manhattan by two notorious antiquities dealers — have been returned to their home countries, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has announced.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Redshirt senior Matt Lauter, a player head coach Spencer Danielson lauds as one of the best tight ends in the nation, has the second-best rating as an offensive player, at 89.—
Shaun Goodwin
July 14,
Idaho Statesman,
14 July 2025
-
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior Doman averaged 42.6 yards on 49 punts this past season, including 15 downed inside the 20 and 10 of 50 yards or longer.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
For those who don't know, Area 51 is a large, secretive military base in the remote Nevada desert where several exotic military aircraft have been developed and tested over the years, including the venerable U-2 spy plane way back when.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
The show’s venerable former executive producer resigned in April as corporate executives sought to assert more control over the newsmagazine, which has long operated with a degree of independence from the rest of CBS News.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
But the real question is what kind of concrete retribution Trump could try to exact on his erstwhile political ally and campaign donor.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
-
On the way to the Fordyce’s second floor, the erstwhile opulence along Bathhouse Row becomes evident.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Old.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share