DIRECTORY OF BEAUTIFUL WORDS
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My Writing Portfolio at www.bykairos.com MAIN DIRECTORY
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DIRECTORY OF OBSCURITY
The Old, Rare & Unusual
OBSCURE | WEIRD | OBSOLETE
Obscurity WordMap
WORD LISTS SPECIAL FEATURES WORDS FROM OTHER CATEGORIES
- Obscure Words from Language Category
- Nonsense ~ Gibberish ~ Grandiloquent ~ Oddities ~ Whimsical ~ Quirky ~ Bizarre ~ Sensory ~ Boring ~ Hyphenated
WEIRD AND WACKY WORDS
strange and bizarre old and rare words
OBSCURITY OF THE NORM
obscure words for everyday things
BRINGING BACK
the old, rare & archaicOBSOLETE WORDS
DIRECTORY OF WORD LISTS
SEE ALSO FROM THE REFERENCE CENTER:
Death March for an Obsolete Word
Classifying Words by Usage - New to Obsolete
Ye Olde Fossils Keep On Kicking
Tracing the Etymology of a Word
- Scent of a Woman From Long Ago
- Obsolete Words For All Your Friends
- Whippersnapper! How We Define Old
- An Ode to the Oddly Obsolete
- Drunken Seance to Raise the Forgotten
- How Grandiloquent Can a Cheeky Logophile Be?
- Do We Put Ice in an Old Fashioned?
- Tossing a Jambled Up Obsolete Word Salad
- Obsolete Words Deserve a Second Chance
- A Merry Ole Archaisms - Beyond Obsolete
SEE ALSO FROM THE REFERENCE CENTER:
Death March for an Obsolete Word
Classifying Words by Usage - New to Obsolete
Ye Olde Fossils Keep On Kicking
Tracing the Etymology of a Word
Whippersnapper! Learn
HOW WE DEFINE OLD
Before we dive into obsolete we need to explore words defining what is old.
Aged: advanced in age, typical of old age; also, at an age
Aging: advancing in age, or the concept of growing older
Ancient: aged, old-fashioned, or pertaining to long-ago times, or see venerable
Anile: pertaining to or resembling an old woman, or see senile
Antiquated: of advanced age, or out of fashion or style
Archaic: pertaining to an earlier time
Dated: old-fashioned; also, provided with a date
Decrepit: infirm because of old age, or dilapidated, run down, or worn out
Démodé: unfashionable
Doddering: senile
Elderly: pertaining to the late period of life, or old-fashioned
Fossilized: see outmoded; also, fixed or rigid, or converted into a fossil
Geriatric: old or out of style, or pertaining to older people or to the process of aging
Kaput: outmoded; also, broken, or defeated or destroyed
Long lived: characterized by a long life span
Medieval: see antiquated and outmoded; also, pertaining to the Middle Ages in Europe
Moribund: inactive, obsolete, or nearing death
Mossy: see antiquated; also, something similar to moss, or covered by moss or something similar
Moth eaten: see antiquated and outmoded; also, eaten by moths or their larvae
Noachian: see ancient and antiquated; also, pertaining to Noah or the era in which he live
Neolithic: old-fashioned because a holdover from another era; also, a scientific term (always capitalized) referring to the later Stone Age
Obsolete: old-fashioned, or no longer useful; also, in biology, flawed or vestigial in comparison to similar features
Outmoded: out of style, or not acceptable or current
Overage: too old to be of use, or older than normal
Over the hill: advanced in age, or past one’s prime
Passé: past one’s prime. See outmoded
Prehistoric: see outmoded; also, in archaeology and language, from before written history
Quaint: old-fashioned; also, odd, elegant, or skillfully designed
Retro: see retrograde (however, the short form is from the French term rétrospectif, not from retrograde)
Retrograde: fashionable nostalgic, or trendily old-fashioned; also, various technical senses of moving backward or contrary to normal motion
Rusty: clumsy or slow due to old age or lack of practice
Senescent: old, or becoming old; also, the part of a plant’s life cycle from full maturity onward
Senile: pertaining to old age, especially to loss of mental faculties
Senior: older, or older than another; also, someone in the highest level in an institution or organization or with high rank or status
Spavined: see decrepit; also, afflicted with swelling
Stone Age: a period or a stage in the development of a field or institution considered old or old-fashioned; also, in archeology, the earliest period of human culture (always capitalized in both senses)
Superannuated: older than is typical, disqualified for active duty because of age, or old-fashioned
Tottery: infirm or precarious
Unyoung: old
Venerable: prompting respect because of age and attendant wisdom or skill, or impressive because of age; also, sacred or deserving of reverence
Vintage: old or old-fashioned; also, among the best (said of a particular person or thing), or of enduring interest or worth
Aging: advancing in age, or the concept of growing older
Ancient: aged, old-fashioned, or pertaining to long-ago times, or see venerable
Anile: pertaining to or resembling an old woman, or see senile
Antiquated: of advanced age, or out of fashion or style
Archaic: pertaining to an earlier time
Dated: old-fashioned; also, provided with a date
Decrepit: infirm because of old age, or dilapidated, run down, or worn out
Démodé: unfashionable
Doddering: senile
Elderly: pertaining to the late period of life, or old-fashioned
Fossilized: see outmoded; also, fixed or rigid, or converted into a fossil
Geriatric: old or out of style, or pertaining to older people or to the process of aging
Kaput: outmoded; also, broken, or defeated or destroyed
Long lived: characterized by a long life span
Medieval: see antiquated and outmoded; also, pertaining to the Middle Ages in Europe
Moribund: inactive, obsolete, or nearing death
Mossy: see antiquated; also, something similar to moss, or covered by moss or something similar
Moth eaten: see antiquated and outmoded; also, eaten by moths or their larvae
Noachian: see ancient and antiquated; also, pertaining to Noah or the era in which he live
Neolithic: old-fashioned because a holdover from another era; also, a scientific term (always capitalized) referring to the later Stone Age
Obsolete: old-fashioned, or no longer useful; also, in biology, flawed or vestigial in comparison to similar features
Outmoded: out of style, or not acceptable or current
- Out of date: outmoded
- Outdated: outmoded
- Outworn: outmoded
Overage: too old to be of use, or older than normal
Over the hill: advanced in age, or past one’s prime
Passé: past one’s prime. See outmoded
Prehistoric: see outmoded; also, in archaeology and language, from before written history
Quaint: old-fashioned; also, odd, elegant, or skillfully designed
Retro: see retrograde (however, the short form is from the French term rétrospectif, not from retrograde)
Retrograde: fashionable nostalgic, or trendily old-fashioned; also, various technical senses of moving backward or contrary to normal motion
Rusty: clumsy or slow due to old age or lack of practice
Senescent: old, or becoming old; also, the part of a plant’s life cycle from full maturity onward
Senile: pertaining to old age, especially to loss of mental faculties
Senior: older, or older than another; also, someone in the highest level in an institution or organization or with high rank or status
Spavined: see decrepit; also, afflicted with swelling
Stone Age: a period or a stage in the development of a field or institution considered old or old-fashioned; also, in archeology, the earliest period of human culture (always capitalized in both senses)
Superannuated: older than is typical, disqualified for active duty because of age, or old-fashioned
Tottery: infirm or precarious
Unyoung: old
Venerable: prompting respect because of age and attendant wisdom or skill, or impressive because of age; also, sacred or deserving of reverence
Vintage: old or old-fashioned; also, among the best (said of a particular person or thing), or of enduring interest or worth
The Old, Rare & Unusual
OBSCURE | WEIRD | OBSOLETE
Obscurity WordMap
A BEAUTIFUL WORD ... a vocabulary site for logophiles, writers and word lovers that is part of
A SERIES OF BEAUTIFUL WORDS
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Content by Kairos ~ @kairosoflife
Homepage | Portfolio | Contact
Original content © 2021 Copyright, Kairos
A SERIES OF BEAUTIFUL WORDS
Collection of Vocabulary Books, Sites and Resources
Series Homepage | View Sites | Download Books
Words are also posted on twitter under the hashtags #beautifulwords and #wordoftheday and shared visually on pinterest bulletin boards
ABOUT SITE | SITEMAPS | SEARCH | FEEDBACK
Content by Kairos ~ @kairosoflife
Homepage | Portfolio | Contact
Original content © 2021 Copyright, Kairos
