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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
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
-
Twenty died from the disease -- an even mix of elderly cats with previous medical issues and younger, healthier cats.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
arkansasonline.com,
30 Jan. 2025
-
Kelly Ripa's elderly dog, Chewie, had a good night!—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Women and adults younger than 45 are more likely than men and older adults to say that moderate drinking is bad for health, as were Democrats and independents.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN,
24 Jan. 2025
-
On the day of the shooting, Nixon-Clark was 16 years and 9 months old, just shy of reaching legal status as an adult.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Zack Rosenblatt is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the New York Jets.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
The Athletic,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Tester Feedback: Allure’s former senior beauty editor Paige Stables can vouch for the dry shampoo’s refreshing powers.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near senile
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senile. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share