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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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Even so, there were reports about how Biden’s age could have become a political liability even before then-special counsel Robert Hur’s reporting describing the then-president as an elderly man with a bad memory.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
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When an elderly man boarded an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska, his travel companion knew the journey carried special weight.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Former New College student Katie Helms, 47, got emotional when remembering her old mentor.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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Part of it is intentional — this is an adaptation inspired by the sirens of Greek mythology, which is a tale as old as time.—
Lauren Coates,
Variety,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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That leaves Lucas Vazquez — whose contract expires at the end of next month (two weeks into the Club World Cup) — as their only current senior option at the position.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Two more players to watch include junior outfielder Sydney Mann, an Abilene Christian commit, and senior catcher Kylie Grafa, a Delta State commit.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senile. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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