senile Hear it!

senile Definition

se·nile (nīl′, senīl′)

adjective

    1. of, typical of, or resulting from old age: now chiefly medical
    2. showing the marked deterioration often accompanying old age, esp. mental impairment characterized by confusion, memory loss, etc.
  1. Geol. nearing the end of an erosion cycle

Etymology: L senilis < senex, old: see senate

Related Forms:

  • senilely se′·nile′ly adverb
  • senility se·nil′·ity (sə nilə tē) noun
senile Synonyms

senile

modif.

aged, infirm, feeble, declining; see old 1, sick.

senile Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • not: When it came to his turn Peter Taaffe implied that his one time leader and mentor was getting crusty, if not senile.
  • too: The US defense secretary meant that the old continent had grown too senile to be able to confront threats.
  • so: In 1829, three of the watch were so senile and infirm that they were incapable of performing their duties and were replaced.
  • somewhat: His somewhat senile mind was striving for forgotten memories.

Modifies a noun

  • dementia: She has senile dementia, doesn't know us, often calls him " Daddy " .
  • plaque: Are they poisoned by substances around them, perhaps in senile plaques, the defining lesions of Alzheimer's?
  • cataract: Senile cataracts almost always occur in both eyes simultaneously.
  • degeneration: Senile macular degeneration was used as an example of a code expected to be found on a practice system.
  • decay: Basically, they don't give a damn about losing a few months of senile decay.
  • man: He was, in any case, a senile old man, who only partially understood the implications of collaboration.

Used with adjective complement

  • go: Some were very hard to grasp - I may be going senile.
  • become: The gods are old: they have become senile: it is time for them to die!
  • get: Our unit also in effect took over management of the brewery in Hamelin; the old men left to run it were getting senile.
  • grow: The US defense secretary meant that the old continent had grown too senile to be able to confront threats.