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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

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an old woman
an elderly woman
an octogenarian woman
a senior woman
a grandmotherly woman
an elder woman
an old house
an outdated house
an obsolete house
a previous house
a former house
an earlier house
old days
ancient days
archaic days
long-past days
in-those days
simpler days
an old town
a historic town
a classic town
a historical town
an ancient town
an old friend
a longtime friend
a past friend
a familiar friend
a longstanding friend
a previous friend

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 other part of him, the innie, is for all intents and purposes 2 1/2 years old. Gary Levin, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025 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
Noun
If that’s not enough, there are multiple pools, a splash park, and dedicated kids play spaces, including Guppies Open Play (for little ones 6 months to 3 years), Splash Academy (3 to 12 year olds), and Entourage (13 to 17 year olds). Kerry Spencer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024 The 21-year old averaged 3.7 points and 1.0 steals per game during exhibition play. Tony East, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for old
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old
Adjective
  • Perseverance discovered this rock on March 11 on the rim of the Jezero Crater, an ancient lakebed that the rover has been exploring since 2021 for signs of past microbial life.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • In Live Fruit Flies By Ian Randall Deputy Science Editor Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 0 Paleontologists have discovered a disturbing new species of ancient wasp that restrained its prey using its Venus flytrap-like abdomen before laying eggs in the victim.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Torossian served as former Council President Paul Krekorian’s chief of staff before joining Councilmember Adrin Nazarian’s staff.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Previously, the administration of former Mayor Jerome Prince endorsed a controversial plan for Fulcrum BioEnergy to build a waste-to-energy plant on the site.
    Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Transform boring tasks into challenges with stakes, rewards, and achievements.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Broberg’s heartbreaking overtime winner Some overtimes are boring, with teams methodically regrouping.
    Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Dugin sees a dichotomy between liberalism and its enemies that goes back to antiquity.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2025
  • One of the world’s finest private collections of Greco-Roman antiquities is owned by the Torlonias, a wealthy Italian family.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The diverse crowd ranged from children in strollers to elderly people in wheelchairs, with politicians including state Sen. Royce West and U.S. Rep. Al Green joining march organizers at the front.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
  • This automatic fountain is especially useful for pet parents of elderly male cats or those who have had health issues with UTIs to more easily monitor and track changes.
    Simon Hill, Wired News, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Truth be told, as welcome as the choice was to fans as a relative novelty, that opener was not one of the better selections of the night; their arrangement felt relatively sluggish, compared to probably any other version of the venerable rock standard any audience member has heard over the years.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
  • On stage at Chicago Shakespeare’s Yard theater, the familiar iconography of the jukebox musical, a venerable Anglo-American genre, is being rehearsed.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Porter Moser spent three seasons in the Big 12 before shepherding Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference, making the longtime coach uniquely suited to compare the erstwhile best conference in America to the current king of college hoops.
    Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The focus right now is on Canada, an erstwhile friend, who has had enough of Trump after the surprise labeling them as fentanyl kingpins and smugglers of natural resources.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Ignoring those who served and buried honorably is stupid.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Old.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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