middle-aged

adjective

Definition of middle-agednext
as in retired

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-aged
  1. retired
  2. adult
  3. oldish
  4. octogenarian
  5. superannuated
  6. elderly
  7. septuagenarian
  8. grown-up
Adjective
  • Jack Hosking, the 90-year-old retired former head of a title insurance company, organizes a weekly coffee to discuss political and community issues.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Jack Stuster is a retired behavioral scientist who spent decades studying human performance.
    — Katia Riddle, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of retired
Adjective
  • While on the ground, the eagle was seen in a fight with two sub-adult eagles, according to the nonprofit.
    — Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • The encounter is rare because the vast majority of sub-adult and adult sharks end up at Cape Cod, Dodd said.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Definition of adult
Adjective
  • Most of us travelling correspondents were youngish reporters from oldish outlets, wearing blue button-downs and carrying notebooks in the back pockets of our Bonobos.
    — Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Almost all were sort of oldish homes; this wasn’t an area with huge three-plus million dollar house.
    — Ali MacGraw, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025
Definition of oldish
Adjective
  • The song, from Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, which some octogenarian readers may remember arriving three days early through an app for the first million Samsung Galaxy owners, had already begun to creep into the younger generation’s consciousness.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Mick Jagger is defying his octogenarian status in a new video, showing his dance moves at a club weeks after turning 83.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of octogenarian
Adjective
  • The most unrealistic aspect of this portrayal is that, in 2026, that profile would make Mav not a superannuated flight instructor, but secretary of defense.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • Yet León’s superannuated one man revolution does change the world – or at least a little part if it – by changing Cardozo.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
Definition of superannuated
Adjective
  • Patterson invited the parents of her estranged husband and their two elderly friends to lunch in July 2024.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • He was slated to start community college in the fall and had spent the last several months working as a caregiver in an elderly living center.
    — Laurie Perez, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of elderly
Adjective
  • Did anyone suggest that, for a septuagenarian with many months of shows ahead around the world, including two homecoming runs through Canada, leaving the ground might not be the best idea?
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Directed by Bai Xue, the crowd-pleasing drama, released in China last month, stars Yeoh as a septuagenarian who discovers a late-life gift for speedcubing, or competitive puzzle-solving.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of septuagenarian
Adjective
  • But instead of leaning into Minnie Mouse territory, this A-line midiskirt looks more sophisticated and grown-up with its small dots, satiny finish, and lightly ruffled hemline.
    — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 25 July 2026
  • Embodied by the O’Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Lou Rawls, and others, it was grown-up and plush, but still grooving—the seedbed for the sizzle of disco, with an emphasis on Black pride.
    — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
Definition of grown-up
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.

Browse Nearby Words

middle age
middle-aged
middle-ager
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Cite this Entry

“Middle-aged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-aged. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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