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
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
In the Kremlin’s propaganda, Biden is now invariably portrayed as senile, sleepy and out of touch.
—David E. Sanger, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Feb. 2023
Trump regularly claimed during the 2020 campaign that Biden was senile.
—Dallas News, 9 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for senile
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
In the Kremlin’s propaganda, Biden is now invariably portrayed as senile, sleepy and out of touch.
—David E. Sanger, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Feb. 2023
Trump regularly claimed during the 2020 campaign that Biden was senile.
—Dallas News, 9 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for senile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for senile
Adjective
-
States and food pantries cannot cover food for needy elderly, children and the disabled without federal support.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 July 2025
-
An Australian woman was on Monday convicted of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms, and attempting to murder a fourth, in a case that gripped the country.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
The current challenge to the gondola project is 16 months old and counting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
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Cape Florida Light The Cape Florida Light, in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on the tip of Key Biscayne, is the oldest lighthouse in the state.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Redshirt senior Matt Lauter, a player head coach Spencer Danielson lauds as one of the best tight ends in the nation, has the second-best rating as an offensive player, at 89.—
Shaun Goodwin
July 14,
Idaho Statesman,
14 July 2025
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The 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior Doman averaged 42.6 yards on 49 punts this past season, including 15 downed inside the 20 and 10 of 50 yards or longer.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senile. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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