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as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest even the most stirring speeches start to get old after you've heard them a few times

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

old

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective old differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of old are ancient, antiquated, antique, archaic, obsolete, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses
an old sweater of mine

When can ancient be used instead of old?

While in some cases nearly identical to old, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

When might antiquated be a better fit than old?

In some situations, the words antiquated and old are roughly equivalent. However, antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

When would antique be a good substitute for old?

The meanings of antique and old largely overlap; however, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

When is archaic a more appropriate choice than old?

While the synonyms archaic and old are close in meaning, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

In what contexts can obsolete take the place of old?

The words obsolete and old are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

When is it sensible to use venerable instead of old?

The words venerable and old can be used in similar contexts, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

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 old
Adjective
The 22 and 21-year-olds are facing felony robbery charges, while the 23-year-old was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and a driving unlawfully, according to Sacramento County Sheriff Office jail logs. Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2025 The 48-year old said his 25 years in the business have helped shape his strategy. Michelle Fox, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
The new pipe will be twice the size of the old pipe, and is expected to have enough capacity to handle any additional development in the coming years, Gugliuzza said. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Sep. 2025 His senior Great Dane, Monroe, sprawls out on the floor between the music and the old pulpit. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for old
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old
Adjective
  • The rest of the world should learn from Europe’s failures, and not burden its relatively younger and poorer citizens with funding benefits for its relatively wealthy and retired elderly ones.
    Renaud Foucart, Time, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Noguera was assigned to assist elderly prisoners as part of a prison program for inmates with disabilities.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The piece filled both a madrasa and a caravanserai, placing ancient craft next to modern technology.
    Dada Jovanovic, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
  • But those who study the stars say this is a fact long known by ancient astronomers, and the disconnect is essentially an intentional feature of the zodiac, not a bug.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • With celebrity judges Paula Abdul and host Jesse Palmer, also a former NFL quarterback, the Golden Bachelor Cheer Championship features two teams – Mel's Angels versus Mel's GB Squad.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Paramount settled a lawsuit with the president’s legal team in July for $16 million regarding an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris that aired ahead of the 2024 general election.
    Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • And producers are looking again for the serious, boring money with no strings attached.
    Ed Meza, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The resulting larvae both look and act like screws, boring and twisting into the animal while feasting on its living flesh.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • That morning, Josephine Carter, a security officer at the Getty Villa, a museum of classical antiquities in a remote part of the Palisades, was posted alone at the back gate.
    Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
  • However, the area, with its rugged coastline, azure sea glinting in the sunlight, and charming villages built right into the cliffs, has lured elite travelers to its picturesque shores since antiquity.
    Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers executions for USA TODAY.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • As part of the agreement, Amazon and two of its executives, Prime boss Jamil Ghani and Neil Lindsay, a senior vice president in the company's health division who previously held a role in the Prime business, will be prohibited from unlawful conduct.
    Annie Palmer, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • New York’s venerable Manhattan Theatre Club has selected Associate Artistic Director Nicki Hunter to take over as Artistic Director when Lynne Meadow steps aside on December 1.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
  • And as if a constant stream of social media vitriol wasn’t enough of an insult to the venerable lawns, they are subjected to constant meteorological insults as well.
    Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Worried that Dessalines’s enemies might eventually force upon him the same fate suffered by his erstwhile friend and ally, Christophe refused to be sworn into office.
    Marlene L. Daut September 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Being able to generate code was finally getting a chance to shine in the bright lights of another erstwhile reason to use generative AI and LLMs.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Old.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

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