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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They were described as an elderly couple, the CHP said.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Many people are ignored for decades, particularly great performers and elderly folks who conceal their qualities.—
Lucy Jones
April 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Since 2023, a Sasquatch figure — similar to the one in the old Jack Link’s Beef Jerky ads — has appeared atop the Royals Hall of Fame in left field after Pasquantino reaches base.—
PJ Green
April 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
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Not yet able to buy an alcoholic drink, Knueppel is only 20 years old.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The senior cats at the shelter are especially close to Carvajal’s heart, like Moo Moo, a senior cat around the same age as Carvajal’s oldest pet cat, Ana Banana.—
Amanda Rosa
April 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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David Kundrat came into his senior season known mostly as a defensive specialist, praised by his Lockport coaches and teammates for the ability to chase balls down and make highlight-reel catches in center field.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senile. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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