ELDERLY Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

elderly

adjective

ˈel-dər-lē

Definition of elderly

as in older

being of advanced years and especially past middle age elderly people who stay active are usually the healthiest and the happiest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 elderly Intimate drama set in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, where a young Ukrainian deserter finds refuge with an elderly woman and forms an unlikely bond. — Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 At the elementary school, more elderly students are enrolled than children. — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Sober and working, May moved in with and took care of his ailing mother for a while, and now lives with and cares for an elderly aunt. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Rosie becomes like a second daughter to Amy’s parents, notably her elderly father, who is starting to show his age. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elderly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elderly

Adjective

Benefits beyond weight loss The drug semaglutide, which is sold as Wegovy and Ozempic, shows many of the same anti-aging benefits, according to new research from drugmaker Novo Nordisk.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Ragkun Retinol Collagen Cream Among the cream’s ingredients are retinol and collagen, the ultimate anti-aging duo.

— Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of aging

Adjective

Comparing households aged 72 and older in 2022 with those aged 75 and older in 2025, Maggiulli calculated a smaller—but still substantial—21% increase.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
The chief said that officers on the scene found three children, aged five, eight, and 11, and a teacher dead.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of aged

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

Browse Nearby Words

elderliness

elderly

elders

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of elderly

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on elderly

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes