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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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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Deputies located an elderly man and woman who were both deceased, according to a Facebook post by sheriff’s officials.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacramento Bee,
23 Feb. 2025
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This is also where elderly people can apply for Medicare, which doesn’t have physical outposts of its own.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Every year in the US, there are approximately 35,000 ER visits due to unintentional medication overdoses among children under 5 years old.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
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The other part of him, the innie, is for all intents and purposes 2 1/2 years old.—
Gary Levin,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The senior now needs a perfect score on the uneven bars to complete a coveted ‘Gym Slam:’ a perfect score on every event.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
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The Defense Department has sent lists of its probationary employees to the Trump administration, according to a senior official, as the Pentagon braces for layoffs that have rocked other parts of the federal government in recent weeks.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senile. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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