ANCIENT Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'ancient' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ancient are antiquated , antique , archaic , obsolete , old , and venerable . While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past. // ancient accounts of dragons

Q: When can 'antiquated' be used instead of 'ancient'?

The meanings of antiquated and ancient largely overlap; however, antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time. // antiquated teaching methods

Q: When is it sensible to use 'antique' instead of 'ancient'?

Although the words antique and ancient have much in common, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time. // collected antique Chippendale furniture

Q: When could 'archaic' be used to replace 'ancient'?

The words archaic and ancient are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time. // the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

Q: When is 'obsolete' a more appropriate choice than 'ancient'?

While the synonyms obsolete and ancient are close in meaning, 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

Q: When would 'old' be a good substitute for 'ancient'?

The words old and ancient can be used in similar contexts, but old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence. // old houses // an old sweater of mine

Q: When might 'venerable' be a better fit than 'ancient'?

The synonyms venerable and ancient are sometimes interchangeable, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age. // the family's venerable patriarch

ancient 1 of 2

adjective

ˈān(t)-shənt

Definition of ancient

as in venerable

dating or surviving from the distant past Rome's ancient ruins remain carefully preserved even in the midst of the bustle of the modern city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in older

being of advanced years and especially past middle age used to think that age 40 was ancient until I turned 40 myself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in primitive

relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period the ancient Inca built a vast network of roads

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ancient

2 of 2

noun

as in elder

a person of advanced years ancients in the tribe are accorded great respect and valued for their wisdom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ancient differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ancient are antiquated, antique, archaic, obsolete, old, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

When can antiquated be used instead of ancient?

The meanings of antiquated and ancient largely overlap; however, antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

When is it sensible to use antique instead of ancient?

Although the words antique and ancient have much in common, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

When could archaic be used to replace ancient?

The words archaic and ancient are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

When is obsolete a more appropriate choice than ancient?

While the synonyms obsolete and ancient are close in meaning, 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 would old be a good substitute for ancient?

The words old and ancient can be used in similar contexts, but old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses

an old sweater of mine

When might venerable be a better fit than ancient?

The synonyms venerable and ancient are sometimes interchangeable, 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 ancient

Adjective

Scarabs, serpents, vultures, lunar ornaments, ancient gods like Horus and Anubis carved from gold and lapis lazuli—all strategically placed on various points along the body. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2026 The Villa Borghese is full of ancient marble statues, which Leo largely ignored. — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Noun

Whereas modern extermination tends to involve poisons or traps that a professional later clears, ancients had to take on pests one by one. — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025 No full moons, no silver bullets, no ancients curses and the like, just a title card at the beginning of the film stating that wolf man sightings have been a phenomenon since indigenious peoples ruled the Americas. — Scott Phillips, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ancient

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancient

Adjective

There’s Haroon Mirza’s Stone Circle, commissioned by Ballroom Marfa, another venerable local institution.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
The venerable broadcast network regained the league’s rights as part of an 11-year media deal, reviving the iconic theme song that accompanied NBA broadcasts from 1990 to 2002.

— Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of venerable

Adjective

The pickup’s driver, a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, Kansas, was taken into custody but was later released after police consulted with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

— Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Melanie Lawrence, a 68-year-old independent, worries about wells going dry in her area near Willcox, where the groundwater grew so depleted that the land started to crack.

— Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of old

Adjective

These primitive instincts are highly attuned to potential danger and are often triggered before our conscious mind registers that something isn’t right.

— Georgia Casey, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026
When our skin senses heat, those signals travel to a primitive part of the brain that tells our body to cool down.

— Will Stone, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of primitive

Noun

Fawn Youngbear-Tibbetts, the group's executive director, said then that recordings of elders' stories on old tapes were likely melted.

— Eric Henderson, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
The day of the shooting, after Roberts took his own life at the scene, while the victims were flown to the nearest hospital, an Amish elder publicly forgave Roberts before the news cameras.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of elder

Adjective

An elderly couple was found dead inside their house on Andover Avenue in Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Wednesday afternoon.

— Amanda Callahan, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
The former owner of several unlicensed North Texas boarding homes was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges tied to the abuse and fatal neglect of elderly and disabled clients in her care.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of elderly

Adjective

That absence presented a problem for scientists trying to understand how the animals spread around the prehistoric world.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
That said, prior archaeological digs have revealed similar prehistoric wooden weapons dating as far back as 400,000 years.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of prehistoric

Noun

The Child Mind Institute notes that losing a close friendship can be emotionally painful for young people, and urges adults to take those experiences seriously rather than brushing them off.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 3 and, as an adult, served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of adult

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ancient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancient. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ancient

adjective

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes