SENILE Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

senile

adjective

Definition of senile

as in elderly

showing a loss of mental ability (such as memory) in old age a senile man in his eighties Her mother is becoming senile.

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of senile Billy Chapman is again introduced as a child (Logan Sawyer) visiting his senile grandpa in a rest home. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025 The kids can’t spell and the world leaders are senile. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025 Back on the domestic front, Jeanine has reason to believe that her husband, Paul (Mark O’Brien), is having an affair with her senile mother’s caregiver. — Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023 Don Quixote himself is too often a senile dodderer; Daniel Rubin was creaky in body but youthfully quixotic in spirit. — Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for senile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for senile

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 company also used non-compete agreements restricting employees from joining rivals for two years, as part of their employment contracts, with senior employees holding valuable technical expertise likely facing closer scrutiny.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Carpenter is a senior account adviser at ATS Communications and has served on the Placer County Parks and Open Spaces Commission.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026