1
2
as in antique
something belonging to or surviving from an earlier period in my grandparents' attic are many "groovy" relics from the 1960s

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in dinosaur
one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity his courtly manners marked him as a relic of a more refined and formal era

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in remains
relics plural a dead body though it is believed that missionary died in New Guinea, his relics have never been found

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 relic So why bring back this infamous relic from the past? Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 May 2025 Amid the procession of Reds fans were Marlins relics of the distant and recent past. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 The new requirement goes into effect nationwide on that date, making a basic driver's license a relic at airports set up for Real IDs. Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025 In evolutionary terms, Vasuki is a relic from a vanished world — a creature forged in solitude and set loose by tectonic chaos. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic
Noun
  • In addition to the artworks–most created by international emerging artists–Fenix displays important historical artifacts related to migration such as a section of the Berlin Wall, a migrant boat from Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea, and a 1923 Nansen passport.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • The large complex is made up of stone structures built around open plazas, and as additional structures were added over time, several rooms became interior spaces — which is how the room containing the 23 artifacts became hidden.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • Slow decorating encourages finding antiques, buying used but quality items, and updating older pieces for continued use.
    Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
  • Now restored, its labyrinthine lanes remain a fascinating place to shop for antiques, traditional clothing, Omani khanjar (daggers), frankincense, jewelry, handmade sandals, coffee pots and dates.
    Natasha Amar, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • After dinosaurs went extinct, South America was dominated by large, crocodile-like reptiles called sebecids.
    Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025
  • Hollywood regularly relies on superheroes, dinosaurs and death-defying stunts from Tom Cruise to propel the summer season, and overly familiar brands will again reign in terms of ticket sales.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • Much of the tour’s aesthetic traces to Lauper’s love for art, museums and eye-popping fashion; the tour boasts original collaborations with Wurtzel, Siriano, Geoffrey Mac, Brian Burke and Yayoi Kusama.
    Joe Lynch, Billboard, 19 May 2025
  • Parachute Percale Sheet Set $269 $188 Parachute For subtle traces of butter yellow, try this percale set from Parachute that comes with one pillowcase, a flat sheet, and a top sheet beneath your choice of duvet.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • Sun-soaked, punk rock ’70s California, a fraught family safari in Africa, a frustrated has-been and a digital future portrayed in a PowerPoint presentation show how disparate lives can affect each other.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Her being nominated for playing a grotesque has-been is, at the very least, a delicious irony.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Look down and see the five little roach corpses and six live roaches on the ground in the bar and the other three on the ground in kitchen storage.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025
  • Every morning, prisoners lined up for inspection alongside the corpses of those who had died in the night heaped in a pile next to them.
    Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • While the boosters included parachutes allowing them to be recovered and reused, the fuel tank was designed to disintegrate during its atmospheric reentry along a ballistic trajectory ensuring any remnants landed in the Indian or Pacific Oceans.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 May 2025
  • In a place as old and majestic as Rome, even the mundane can contain fascinating remnants of history.
    Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Alarmed animal lovers are demanding answers as dead birds repeatedly plummet from the sky, with the carcasses falling on a quiet residential street.
    Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
  • Grizzly 1058 had likely been dead for three to seven days, based on the fact that roughly 20 percent of the carcass had been scavenged, per the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on relic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!