Synonyms of defunct
44 similar words
Another word for defunct is old-fashioned. Other synonyms of defunct are elderly, unemployed, disused, idle and primitive.
Synonyms and similar words for defunct
adjectiveNo longer in use or active, nor expected to be again.
- antiquatedOld-fashioned, out of date.
- disusedNo longer in use.
- outdated
- anachronisticErroneous in date; containing an anachronism; in a wrong time; not applicable to or not appropriate for the time.
- antediluvianOf attitudes, ideas, etc.: extremely old-fashioned, especially to a laughable extent; antiquated.
- antique
- archaic
- backwardLacking progressive or enlightened thought; outdated.
- backwardsSynonym of backward; see usage notes there.
- behind the timesOut of date; old-fashioned; obsolete; outmoded; outdated.
- cobwebbed figuratively
- cobwebby figuratively
- dated
- desueteDisused; out of use.
- discontinued
- dootsie UK, dialectal
- elderlyOf an object, being old-fashioned or frail due to aging.
- extinctOf customs, ideas, laws and legal rights, offices, organizations, languages, etc.: no longer existing or in use...
- expired
- fossilized
- HavishamesqueStuck in the past; also, refusing to accept change or failure.
- hoary figurativelyOld or old-fashioned; trite.
- idleNot engaged in any occupation or employment; unemployed; inactive; doing nothing in particular.
- Miss HavishamesqueSynonym of Havishamesque.
- mouldy figurativelyShowing signs of neglect; disused.
- obsolete
- old
- oldfangledOld-fashioned.
- old-fashionedOf an object, outdated or no longer in vogue.
- old schoolNow often old-school: characteristic of a method for accomplishing a task, a style, or a way of thinking that was...
- outmodedObsolete.
- out of date
- out of fashionUnfashionable, not in fashion.
- outworn
- parachronisticBelonging to an earlier time; too old to be used; primitive; out of date.
- passé
- primitiveCrude, obsolete.
- superannuatedObsolete, antiquated.
- superseded
- unemployedHaving no use, not doing work.
- unoccupied
- venerableAncient, antiquated or archaic.
- workless
- antediluvial rareAntiquated.
Meaning of defunct
- adjective No longer in use or active, nor expected to be again.
- adjective No longer in business or service, nor expected to be again; out of business.
- adjective Specifically, of a process: having terminated but not having been reaped (by its parent or an inheritor), and thus still occupying a process slot. See also zombie, zombie process.
defunct in other languages
Questions about synonyms of defunct
- What is another word for defunct?
- Defunct has 44 synonyms on Word.ws, such as old-fashioned, elderly, unemployed, disused, idle, primitive, venerable and outmoded.
- What does defunct mean?
- Defunct means no longer in use or active, nor expected to be again.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: defunct (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of defunct.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/defunct. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
