senile
part of speech
adjective (senile)
meaning for a pupil
1) Weak in mind because of old age, especially forgetful or confused. tree →
2) (medicine, old-fashioned) Connected with old age: «senile dementia». tree →
sense in the lessons
Adult life seen by a child: an elderly relative may become confused. Today doctors say «dementia» rather than «senile», and calling someone senile is unkind. Phrases: «going senile».
examples
- Great-gran gets confused, but the doctor says it is dementia, not just being senile. tree →
- It is rude to call old people senile. tree →
- The old dog seemed a bit senile, barking at nothing. tree →
- Some people become forgetful as they age, but many stay sharp. tree →
- In the story, the old king was senile and easily fooled. tree →
note
Pronounced SEE-nile. Often hurtful; say «has dementia» or «forgetful». Myth: not all old people become senile; many stay clear-minded. Noun «senility».
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «senile» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.