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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Recent Examples of senile
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
But Benjamin Smith, a professor of Latin American history at the University of Warwick in Britain, said the tweet could further fuel ongoing rumors that López Obrador, 69, is senile or otherwise unfit to govern.
—Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for 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
But Benjamin Smith, a professor of Latin American history at the University of Warwick in Britain, said the tweet could further fuel ongoing rumors that López Obrador, 69, is senile or otherwise unfit to govern.
—Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for senile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for senile
Adjective
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Authorities are notably worried about people living in the baking streets, and elderly people in nursing homes or isolated in their homes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
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Authorities are notably worried about people living in the streets and elderly people in nursing homes or isolated in their homes.—
Angela Charlton,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Adjective
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The 2-year-old has not been identified as of Tuesday night.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Investigators also cited writings allegedly authored by Proper, the youngest member of the group at 19 years old.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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The agreement was read aloud by a senior administration official on a call with reporters.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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He was named an All-American after a senior season with 36 goals, 26 assists and 19 ground balls for the Hornets.—
Steve Gorches,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senile. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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