DINOSAUR Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

dinosaur

noun

ˈdī-nə-ˌsȯr

Definition of dinosaur

as in relic

one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity as an old-time big-city boss, he's become something of a dinosaur in today's political world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in whale

something or someone that is unusually large and powerful not that his small lawn needed such a dinosaur, but he bought a riding mower anyway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dinosaur It was subsequently identified as belonging to a dinosaur, but nobody quite knew which one. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Researchers believe the dinosaur would have been between 10 and 13 feet long and almost 5 feet tall. — Archie Clarke, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 The changes would have affected the environments in which life developed and evolved, from the age of the dinosaurs through to some of our oldest primate ancestors. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026 These ancient aviators included the microraptorines, a group of small, carnivorous dinosaurs that sported long feathers along each of their limbs. — Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dinosaur

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dinosaur

Noun

Theranos is, in many ways, a cautionary tale and a relic of 2010s Silicon Valley.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
Our leaders should retire a relic that endangers people and animals alike, and retire, once and for all, the small and nasty politics used to defend it.

— Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of relic

Noun

Eventually, the whale breaches the surface and Jay nearly manages to break free by climbing out of its open mouth.

— Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, the natural beauty of the Golden State is offset by the graphic body horror of the whale’s innards, built on practical sets by production designer Ramsey Avery and lit by bioluminescence.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of whale

Noun

The manuscript Wayne read to us that night chronicled his involvement with Gloria Swanson, the towering star of Hollywood’s Golden Age who enjoyed latter-day acclaim in 1950 playing a delusional has-been in Sunset Boulevard.

— Mike Hogan, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
That career move quickly fizzled, leaving a sloppy drunk has-been in the debris.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of has-been

Noun

No word on if there may be a deal for the duo to land over at the streaming giant as the company prepares for a few big theatrical releases ahead.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
In response, the streaming giant has sought to diversify its content in recent years, expanding into live sports, documentaries and video games in order to compete for share of consumer attention.

— Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of giant

Noun

Diagnose the monster before deciding which mind and which move are required to outwit it.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
That led him to snowy Deadwood, South Dakota, and a turn as local guide Gil Jackson in the horror heist movie Beast From Haunted Cave (1959), produced by Roger’s brother, Gene Corman, and featuring Chris Robinson as the monster.

— Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of monster

Noun

The 18-year-old female elephant got loose from her handler outside her enclosure, then went on the run, demolishing the door of a saloon on North Avenue, smashing in the window of another and walking through the fence around a vacant lot.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Instead of using labels, Alkhatib talks his guests through the treasures, which include a marble model of the Taj Mahal, a geode from Morocco and a silver elephant sculpture from Sri Lanka.

— Dina Cheney, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of elephant

Noun

In ancient California, they are believed to have existed alongside other extinct native species, including bison-sized Jefferson’s ground sloths, Columbian mammoths and western camels.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
See fossils of the 14-foot, 20,000-pound mammoths that used to roam around Texas.

— Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of mammoth

Browse Nearby Words

dinning

dinosaur

dinosaurian

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dinosaur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dinosaur. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dinosaur

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on dinosaur

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

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