moth-eaten

adjective

ˈmȯth-ˌē-tᵊn How to pronounce moth-eaten (audio)
Definition of moth-eatennext
1
as in obsolete
having passed its time of use or usefulness moth-eaten scientific theories that no one's believed in ages

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2
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a man who's been wearing the same moth-eaten clothes for decades

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull an uncle who tells the same moth-eaten stories every Thanksgiving

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moth-eaten
  1. obsolete
  2. dilapidated
  3. stereotyped
  4. archaic
  5. neglected
  6. tired
  7. antiquated
  8. hackneyed
Adjective
  • And although, as a survey-style telescope, Roman boasts a wider, faster view of the sky than either Hubble or JWST, McEnery emphasized that doesn’t make these more focused missions obsolete.
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The same practice can be revolutionary in one company, incremental in another, and obsolete in a third.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of obsolete
Adjective
  • The city earmarked $15 million to transform dilapidated buildings into hubs for new businesses.
    — Reg Chapman, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But, as Keegan’s impact upon Newcastle — the club and the city — rose, the dilapidated ground changed, too.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Despite their outer appearances and oftentimes stereotyped personalities, the ladies embrace each other’s depths and contradictions.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
  • This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Definition of stereotyped
Adjective
  • Japan’s royal succession depends on a archaic and highly contested law, despite a wealth of women who would be eligible to rule under different circumstances.
    — Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And the rest is public perception, which has shifted against what many Americans see as a dirty, archaic form of power generation.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of archaic
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • Pinterest says Gen Z and Millennials are putting their own spins on trends rather than copying them, a sign that visible under-eyes and lived-in finishes could outlast the tired girl label itself.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Republican president looks increasingly tired and running out of steam, has not introduced any major new initiatives and could see the political writing on the wall.
    — Joe Battenfeld, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Costco online cake ordering updates antiquated system The online cake ordering feature was first revealed to be on the way by Costco CEO Ron Vachris in the company's quarterly earnings call in December 2025.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Additionally, interviews and encounters with the slain officers’ family members also illustrate the cost and harm of a job that was formed in the early 19th century and remains antiquated and unchanged in our 21st-century world.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of antiquated
Adjective
  • Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.
    — Naveen Kumar, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of hackneyed
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.

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mothballs
moth-eaten
mother
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Cite this Entry

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

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