hoary

adjective

ˈhȯr-ē How to pronounce hoary (audio)
Definition of hoarynext
as in ancient
dating or surviving from the distant past hoary oak trees with dripping moss and gnarled limbs shaded us from the sun

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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 hoary Connecticut’s three tree-roosting bat species include the eastern red, silver-haired, and hoary bats. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2026 That hoary image remains compelling. — Sam Lipsyte, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025 The most common species of bats found in Grand Teton National Park are little brown bats, followed by big brown, silver-haired, hoary, Yuma, long-legged, and long-eared bats, the agency said. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025 Ultimately, everyone’s happiness is denied, which makes for a cautionary critique of the hoary cliché of 1950s repression (the same falsification that was the basis of Todd Haynes’s drab lesbian drama Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara). — Armond White, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hoary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoary
  1. ancient
  2. venerable
  3. old
  4. medieval
  5. antique
Adjective
  • After becoming a daily fixture in the 1990s, blackouts have worsened since 2024, when Cuba’s ancient power grid began to collapse and Soviet-era electrical stations began failing more frequently.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Its towering basalt cliffs formed as ancient volcanic rock cooled and fractured.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • Busy schedules at venues of every size, particularly the venerable clubs and halls that help give Chicago its local flavor.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The husband-wife duo and their restaurant group that includes the likes of downtown Orlando’s Reyes Mezcaleria and Seito Sushi in Baldwin Park have been twice honored by the venerable James Beard Foundation.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of venerable
Adjective
  • Nuclear Children follows 18-year-old Isla Sparrow who, after the death of her father in a submarine accident, hopes to escape her grieving family and flee to university.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But in older adults, the relationship between body weight and health may be more complicated than a number on the scale.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • Brede Hovland of Norway’s Einar Film, who stepped in for producer Guri Neby on the panel, said the Norwegian shoot wrapped at the end of May after six-to-seven weeks in Oslo, with production now in Prague for the medieval and fantasy material.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Start your day with a lakeside walk, then visit Meersburg Castle, the town’s medieval fortress, before heading to the New Castle (Neues Schloss), a Baroque palace perched above the lake, for panoramic views.
    — Sofia Markovich, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of medieval
Adjective
  • Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma sent a set of antique jewels from the grand ducal family to the Parisian jewelry house.
    — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Taylor’s fourth husband was responsible for many of her most famous baubles, including an antique diamond tiara and a Cartier ruby and diamond suite.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of antique

Browse Nearby Words

hoarse
hoary
hoax
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Cite this Entry

“Hoary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoary. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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