She was sinking into her dotage.
Source: tatoeba (7362445)
Dotage
/ˈdoʊtɪd͡ʒ/
Synonyms for "dotage" (78 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (16)
advanced ageadvanced yearsageage of retirementan incurable diseaseanilityblind faithcaducitychildishnesscredulitycredulousnessdebilitydecline
Strong matches (23)
Noun(3 words)
decline of lifedeclining yearsdecrepitudedisposition to believedotardismease of beliefeldelderlinessfeeblenessfondnessgreen old agegross credulityhale old agehoary ageinfatuationinfirm old ageinfirmityinfirmity of ageinsanitylongevity
Related words (39)
old ageoldnessovercredulityovercredulousnessoveropenness to convictionovertrustfulnesspensionable agerash convictionricketinessripe old agesecond childhoodsenectitudesenile debilitysenile dementiasenile psychosissenile weaknesssenilismsenilitysenior citizenshipsuperannuation
Show 16 more words
the downward slopethe golden yearstrustfulnessuncritical acceptanceuncriticalnessunquestioning beliefunripe acceptationunskepticalnessunsuspectingnessunsuspiciousnessvale of yearswhite hairswill to believewillingness to believewishful beliefwishful thinking
Noun(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: senility, advanced age, advanced years, age, age of retirement.
- Sentence evidence is available for dotage, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "dotage".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "dotage"
Keep "dotage" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "dotage" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "dotage", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "dotage" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
11 entriesageage related declineagingaging effectscognitive impairmentdegenerationeldgeezerhoodold agesenescenceyears
More specific
9 entriesCollocations
6 entriesInflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesSample sentences
4 total sentences available.
"More care!" said the old man in a shrill voice, […] there were in his face marks of deep and anxious thought which convinced me that he could not be, as I had been at first inclined to suppose, in a state of dotage or imbecility.
Source: wiktionary
Claudio And ſhe is exceeding wiſe. Prince In euery thing but in louing Benedicke. […] I would ſhee had beſtowed this dotage on mee, […]
Source: wiktionary
No leſs are they out of the way in Philoſophy, peſtring their heads with the ſapleſs dotages of old Paris and Salamanca.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "dotage"?
Closest matches include senility, advanced age, advanced years, age, age of retirement.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "dotage"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.