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This paper revisits previous work undertaken by the author relating to the concept of déprise, and it reflects on the uses and limitations of the concept. Firstly, the paper explains why the concept of déprise has been, at the turn of the twenty-first century, a useful and fruitful analytical tool to propose an original approach to ageing that looks not only at old age, but also at the process of ageing. Secondly, the author describes three of his contributions to the concept of déprise: the identification of several triggers of déprise; the proposal of a typology of strategies of déprise; the comparison between déprise and Baltes’ “selective optimisation with compensation.” Lastly, the author explains why he uses the concept of déprise less than before. On the one hand, he has looked for a more satisfying formulation of the ideas underpinning déprise and he now prefers to reframe the issue in terms of older people’s capacity to maintain a grip on the world, rather than to speak about their déprise, which can lead to erroneous interpretations. On the other hand, he has suggested a broader conceptualization of ageing by using the concept of épreuve; the process of déprise thus becomes one of the dimensions of the épreuve of ageing. In its conclusion, the paper highlights that the theory of déprise is linked with a specific analytical strategy, which is now being challenged by other perspectives.