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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He was charged him with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief and abusing an elderly or disabled adult; Allen lost his left arm after a 1984 car accident.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
22 Apr. 2025
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Fewer caregivers are available to support a growing elderly population.—
Robert B. Tucker,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Not content just to confirm its arrival, Veach deftly sliced a slit in the plastic to minimize any potential forensic trail, removed the new game and swapped in the old version before carefully rewrapping it.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
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In contrast, older generations started saving much later, with boomers beginning at an average age of 37 and with plans to retire at 72.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The College of Cardinals, or the church's most senior officials residing either at the Vatican or spread across the world, gather in Rome to choose the next pope.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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The chat also reportedly included two former senior advisers to Hegseth: Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Senile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senile. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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