Aging… Magnificently!

Two months ago, in a piece called “Aging… Disgracefully?” we ran a poll asking you to tell us which word you would use to describe how you want to age – or how you are aging. Our shortlist of adverbs was culled from responses to a question posed on the British-based community site Sixty&Me (we added “fiercely).

Seven hundred and fifty votes later, it’s time to share the results of our search for the best alternative to the sit-down-and-be-quiet term “aging gracefully.”

Leading the pack is “magnificently,” which has a regal ring but literally means “making a splendid appearance or show; of exceptional beauty, size, etc.” Those of you who see getting older as a constant process of branching out into new territory made “Adventurously” a very close second. And passionately trailed in third place.

A magnificent, passionate adventure? That’s aging with attitude.

Some people preferred their own terms to the ones we listed and added them in the comments. Among the write-ins were these:

“Genuinely” would be my preference. I chose fiercely but that word to me is somewhat harsh.

Aging boisterously, aging definitively

Enthusiastically!

“supercalifragilisticexpialidociously”

Ready to age supercalifragilisticexpialidociously?

If you didn’t take the poll, you can still do so here – or add your preferred word in the comments below.

Read Senior Planet on the search for an alternative to Aging Gracefully.