RELIC Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

relic

noun

ˈre-lik

Definition of relic

as in artifact

a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a crude stone ax and other relics of the Neanderthals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in antique

something belonging to or surviving from an earlier period in my grandparents' attic are many "groovy" relics from the 1960s

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as in dinosaur

one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity his courtly manners marked him as a relic of a more refined and formal era

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in remains

relics plural a dead body though it is believed that missionary died in New Guinea, his relics have never been found

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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 relic By 2000, the industry was a relic of an earlier era and on its last legs. — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 Yet the name is also a relic — the legacy of Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack, the last of whom passed away nearly 50 years ago. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 Within this awkward relic of several other ages, New York’s past gets fetishized, chopped up, and whirled together into digestible entertainment. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026 Behind the reception desk, a wall of 109 wooden pigeonholes doubles as an art installation, with some compartments displaying replicas of the property's original room keys and others filled with nautical relics reflecting Naples's coastal allure. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic

Noun

There’s also a collection of original costumes, weapons, props and production artifacts from across Villeneuve’s trilogy, including a full-scale ornithopter used in the films.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Given that this uplift comes from the algorithm not weighing GPU performance as heavily, the underlying native frame rate should be higher, reducing the more typical artifacts of frame generation.

— Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of artifact

Noun

What to do nearby A stone’s throw away is the Water Street Market, a complex of shops that includes an antiques mall, the Grazery café, and a neighborhood tavern called Parish.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Sang-woo’s grandfather had been a businessman and a police officer under the Japanese colonial government, before the Second World War; books and antiques from that period line every surface.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of antique

Noun

In three tracks—two tentpoles separated by an ambient interlude—the EP blatantly evokes a period in the mid-’90s when, across Europe, guys in corpse paint started playing around with Korg workstations.

— Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
They have both been charged with tampering with or fabricating evidence and abuse of a corpse, according to court records.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of corpse

Noun

Previous studies relied on paleomagnetism, the study of residual magnetic traces in ancient rocks, since the orientation of those magnetic traces would have varied depending upon where that rock was located relative to Earth's magnetic field.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Rouse said traces of Garr's blood were found deep within the handle.

— Joe Holden, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of trace

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

The title comes from the term used to describe a dead whale carcass sinking to the ocean floor, where its flesh becomes a smorgasbord for entire ecosystems, nourishing countless other marine life forms.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Traditional surveys of carcasses along roadways have shown that crossings do reduce wildlife collisions.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of carcass

Noun

Coastal communities in Southern California began to experience dangerous conditions over Labor Day weekend with the remnants of Hurricane Marie.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
The remnants of Hurricane Isaias brought nearly 10 inches of rain to parts of North Carolina on Saturday, creating flash floods, landslides and tornados.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of remnant

Browse Nearby Words

reliant

relic

relics

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Style

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

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Synonyms of relic

noun

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