1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

spavined

adjective

Definition of spavinednext
as in senile

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spavined
  1. senile
  2. doddering
  3. decrepit
  4. geriatric
  5. elderly
  6. senescent
  7. over-the-hill
  8. aging
Adjective
  • Not long ago, a senile American president’s plan to lead democracies in a battle with autocracies was being applauded by post-1989 Atlanticists such as Anne Applebaum and Adam Michnik.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • They are being given directions by a senile old man who is losing his mind.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
Definition of senile
Adjective
  • According to a recent study, stock prices decline when younger CEOs die unexpectedly, while the sudden deaths of the doddering and wizened drive price spikes.
    — Samuel Moyn, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Even Kathy Hilton is like a ghost of her former self, with Jen Tilly taking the crown of doddering kook away from her.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of doddering
Adjective
  • The old guard will become increasingly decrepit, which will lead to a rash of vacancies one way or another.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Its buildings crumbled, the facility became decrepit, and weeds grew through the racetrack surface.
    — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of decrepit
Adjective
  • His main competition, the geriatric Aaron Jones, should be relegated to backup duty.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The geriatric ERs also saved Medicare up to about $3,000 a visit, according to an earlier study Hwang led.
    — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of geriatric
Adjective
  • So, for example, 4 NAZA would mean four other people killed — women, children, elderly, the term doesn’t differentiate.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • In the film, Efira plays Marie-Lou, who runs a care facility outside Paris and pushes for gentler treatment of its elderly residents.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of elderly
Adjective
  • Some cells even grow senescent, forgetting how to replicate at all.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • In Coconut Grove, Martin and Terra built or co-developed three big high-rise luxury condo projects — seven towers in all — that, while controversial among many residents, helped resuscitate what had been a senescent village center.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
Definition of senescent
Adjective
  • The key is to avoid the over-the-hill gang, as the Heat initially fielded with the likes of Zydrunas Ilgasukas and Mike Bibby.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This week, an over-the-hill Kevin Hart, (pickleball) court battles, and Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (and its related series), among others, demand your attention.
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of over-the-hill
Adjective
  • Luckily, my job involves investigating which anti-aging products are worth buying, and right now, my focus is on Eight Saints Up the Anti Night Cream.
    — Melony Forcier, InStyle, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Someone researching the best anti-aging cream for their needs can identify the active associated with firmness, look at the available evidence, and see how Okoaskin describes the finished formula.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of aging
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

spatting
spavined
spawn
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Spavined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spavined. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All