RELIC Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

relic

noun

ˈre-lik

Definition of relic

as in artifact

a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a crude stone ax and other relics of the Neanderthals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Tech billionaires and art critics can take their time enjoying the 11th-century relic in London. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 29 Oct. 2026 Architectural relics from the Nazi era can help people draw lessons from the past. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026 New York — Down a dim, crooked hallway inside the Jay Street Lofts, a hulking brick relic of Brooklyn’s industrial past, Naomi Mishkin is conducting a radical fashion experiment. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 Few would bother to think about the two-state solution, viewing the idea as a relic from the overly optimistic 1990s. — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic

Noun

Photos and artifacts are on display in the Prince Kūhiō Room, in the corner of the hotel lobby.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Nov. 2026
The island showcases a rich human history, including Native American artifacts, Spanish missions and grand Gilded Age mansions from the Carnegie era.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of artifact

Noun

The trailer shows the team, who are part of the Heritage Crime Unit, on the trail of a new case set in the rich and colorful world of art and antiques, where greed, obsession, lust, and revenge drives people to murder.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2026
Gregory Solomon, a kindly, kooky, antiques dealer in his 90s whom Victor found in the phone book, provides both high comic relief and an outsider’s perspective on the value of these objects that once meant so much to the family.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of antique

Noun

The sheriff's office shared photos of the couple, who were wearing matching dinosaur costumes, in custody.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
According to the study, scientists have long recognized the connection between the diversification of plant-eating dinosaurs and the rise of flowering plants during this period.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of dinosaur

Noun

Four of the mummified corpses also tested positive for alcohol, which likely came from drinking chicha, a beer made out of maize.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2026
Set in a small Vermont town at the absolute peak of fall foliage season, The Trouble With Harry follows a group of residents who stumble upon the titular character’s corpse on a hillside.

— Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of corpse

Noun

For more than 40 years, Olasee has bushwhacked his way through Maroon Country to search for burial grounds and other traces of those who escaped slavery, documenting sites that would otherwise disappear beneath the forest.

— Jayme Moye, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Nov. 2026
Earning a ghostly reputation by avoiding gravity and nuclear forces, these abundant particles stream through us daily without leaving a single trace.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of trace

Noun

The manuscript Wayne read to us that night chronicled his involvement with Gloria Swanson, the towering star of Hollywood’s Golden Age who enjoyed latter-day acclaim in 1950 playing a delusional has-been in Sunset Boulevard.

— Mike Hogan, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
That career move quickly fizzled, leaving a sloppy drunk has-been in the debris.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of has-been

Noun

The damage comes only a year after intense October 2025 flooding, driven by the remnants of Pacific cyclones.

— Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026
Still, the wreck’s most famous remnant is the brass combination lock still in working condition after four centuries buried in sand.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of remnant

Browse Nearby Words

reliant

relic

relics

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Style

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of relic

noun

Example Sentences

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