Jump to:

• old fashioned
  old fashioned

  noun

  a cocktail made with whiskey, bitters, water, and sugar, and garnished with citrus-fruit slices and a cherry.
• old-fashioned
  old-fashioned

  adjective

  of a style or kind that is no longer in vogue.

old fashioned

¹ American  

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letters) a cocktail made with whiskey, bitters, water, and sugar, and garnished with citrus-fruit slices and a cherry.

---

old-fashioned ² American  

[ohld-fash-uhnd] / ˈoʊldˈfæʃ ənd /

adjective

1. of a style or kind that is no longer in vogue.

   an old-fashioned bathing suit.

   Synonyms:

   obsolete, outmoded

2. favored or prevalent in former times.

   old-fashioned ideas.

3. having the conservative behavior, ways, ideas, or tastes of earlier times.

   a delightfully old-fashioned gentleman.

---

old-fashioned British  

adjective

1. belonging to, characteristic of, or favoured by former times; outdated

   old-fashioned ideas

2. favouring or adopting the dress, manners, fashions, etc, of a former time

3. quizzically doubtful or disapproving

   she did not reply, but gave him an old-fashioned look

4. dialect old for one's age

   an old-fashioned child

---

noun

1. a cocktail containing spirit, bitters, fruit, etc

Related Words

See ancient ¹.

Other Word Forms

• old-fashionedly
  adverb
• old-fashionedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of old fashioned¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Origin of old-fashioned²

First recorded in 1645–55

Explanation

Something that's old-fashioned is out of style or from the past. You could call an antique telephone old-fashioned, and you could also describe your elderly grandfather this way. Out-of-date clothes, like your aunt's wardrobe of 1980's dresses with shoulder pads, are old-fashioned. Soda fountains, carriages pulled by horses, and typewriters are all old-fashioned as well. These things are either not currently popular, or they're just plain old. There is also a whisky-based mixed drink called an old-fashioned which is still served in many stylish bars and restaurants.

Example Sentences

Old fashioned: Upgrade your Klondike bars with a better ice cream sandwich.

From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2023

Old fashioned even when it opened, “Morning’s at Seven” became a regional theater darling and yielded two Broadway revivals, likely because it provides hefty roles for aging actors.

From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2021

Old fashioned pennies on the pendulum help to keep the Great Clock accurate.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2019

Old fashioned expressions were exchanged but no one smoked in the paddock these days.

From The Guardian • Nov. 17, 2012

Old fashioned pistols and double-edged daggers were stuck in their belts and their clothing, though of gorgeous colors, was soiled and neglected.

From The Master Key, an Electrical Fairy Tale Founded Upon the Mysteries of Electricity by Baum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank)

Related Words

• ancient
• antique
• archaic
• corny
• dated
• odd
• old
• old-time
• outdated
• outmoded
• primitive