old

[ ohld ]
See synonyms for: oldeldereldestolder on Thesaurus.com

adjective,old·er [ohl-der], /ˈoʊl dər/, old·est [ohl-dist] /ˈoʊl dɪst/ or eld·er [el-der], /ˈɛl dər/, eld·est [el-dist]. /ˈɛl dɪst/.
  1. far advanced in the years of one's or its life: an old man;an old horse;an old tree.

  2. of or relating to the latter part of the life or term of existence of a person or thing: old age.

  1. as if or appearing to be far advanced in years: Worry had made him old.

  2. having lived or existed for a specified time: a man 30 years old;a century-old organization.

  3. having lived or existed as specified with relation to younger or newer persons or things: Jim is our oldest boy.

  4. having been aged for a specified time: This whiskey is eight years old.

  5. having been aged for a comparatively long time: old brandy.

  6. long known or in use: the same old excuse.

  7. overfamiliar to the point of tedium: Some jokes get old fast.

  8. belonging to the past: the good old days.

  9. having been in existence since the distant past: a fine old family.

  10. no longer in general use: Our dishwasher is an old model, so replacement parts are hard to find.

  11. acquired, made, or in use by one prior to the acquisition, making, or use of something more recent: When the new house was built, we sold the old one.

  12. of, relating to, or originating at an earlier period or date: old maps.

  13. former; having been so formerly: I ran into my old piano teacher the other day.

  14. prehistoric; ancient: There may have been an old land bridge between Asia and Alaska.

  15. Old, (of a language) in its oldest known period, as attested by the earliest written records: Old Czech.

  16. experienced: He's an old hand at welding.

  17. of long standing; having been such for a comparatively long time: an old and trusted employee.

  18. (of colors) dull, faded, or subdued: old rose.

  19. deteriorated through age or long use; worn, decayed, or dilapidated: old clothes.

  20. Physical Geography. (of landforms) far advanced in reduction by erosion or the like.

  21. sedate, sensible, mature, or wise: That child seems old beyond his years.

  22. (used to indicate affection, familiarity, disparagement, or a personalization): good old Bob;that dirty old jalopy.

  23. Informal. (used as an intensive) great; uncommon: a high old time.

noun
  1. Usually the old .(used with a plural verb) old persons collectively: appropriations to care for the old.

  2. a person or animal of a specified age or age group (used in combination): a class for six-year-olds;a horse race for three-year-olds.

  1. old or former time, often time long past: days of old.

Origin of old

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English eald, ald; cognate with Dutch old, German alt, Gothic altheis; akin to Old Norse ala “to nourish”

Other words for old

Opposites for old

Other words from old

  • old·ness, noun

Words Nearby old

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use old in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for old

old

/ (əʊld) /


adjective
  1. having lived or existed for a relatively long time: an old man; an old tradition; old wine; an old house; an old country

    • of or relating to advanced years or a long life: old age

    • (as collective noun; preceded by the): the old

    • old and young people of all ages

  1. decrepit or senile

  2. worn with age or use: old clothes; an old car

    • (postpositive) having lived or existed for a specified period: a child who is six years old

    • (in combination): a six-year-old child

    • (as noun in combination): a six-year-old

  3. (capital when part of a name or title) earlier or earliest of two or more things with the same name: the old edition; the Old Testament; old Norwich

  4. (capital when part of a name) designating the form of a language in which the earliest known records are written: Old English

  5. (prenominal) familiar through long acquaintance or repetition: an old friend; an old excuse

  6. practised; hardened: old in cunning

  7. (prenominal often preceded by good) cherished; dear: used as a term of affection or familiarity: good old George

  8. informal (with any of several nouns) used as a familiar form of address to a person: old thing; old bean; old stick; old fellow

  9. skilled through long experience (esp in the phrase an old hand)

  10. out-of-date; unfashionable

  11. remote or distant in origin or time of origin: an old culture

  12. (prenominal) former; previous: my old house was small

    • (prenominal) established for a relatively long time: an old member

    • (in combination): old-established

  13. sensible, wise, or mature: old beyond one's years

  14. (of a river, valley, or land surface) in the final stage of the cycle of erosion, characterized by flat extensive flood plains and minimum relief: See also youthful (def. 4), mature (def. 6)

  15. (intensifier) (esp in phrases such as a good old time, any old thing, any old how, etc)

  16. (of crops) harvested late

  17. good old days an earlier period of time regarded as better than the present

  18. little old informal indicating affection, esp humorous affection: my little old wife

  19. the old one or the old gentleman informal a jocular name for Satan

noun
  1. an earlier or past time (esp in the phrase of old): in days of old

Origin of old

1
Old English eald; related to Old Saxon ald, Old High German, German alt, Latin altus high

usage For old

Many people nowadays prefer to talk about older people rather than old people, and the phrase the old is best avoided altogether

Derived forms of old

  • oldish, adjective
  • oldness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with old

old

In addition to the idioms beginning with old

  • old as Adam
  • old chestnut
  • old college try, the
  • old saw
  • old shoe
  • old stamping ground
  • old story, an
  • old wives' tale

also see:

  • any old
  • chip off the old block
  • comfortable as an old shoe
  • dirty joke (old man)
  • get the air (old heave-ho)
  • no fool like an old fool
  • of old
  • ripe old age
  • same old story
  • settle a score (old scores)
  • stamping ground, old
  • teach an old dog new tricks
  • up to one's old tricks

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.