old

[ ohld ]

/ oʊld /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR old ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, old·er, old·est or eld·er, eld·est.

far advanced in the years of one's or its life: an old man; an old horse; an old tree.

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

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

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

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

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

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

long known or in use: the same old excuse.

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

belonging to the past: the good old days.

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

no longer in general use: This typewriter is an old model.

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.

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

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

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

experienced: He's an old hand at welding.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

former; having been so formerly: a dinner for his old students.

noun

(used with a plural verb) old persons collectively (usually preceded by the): appropriations to care for the old.

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.

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

Nearby words

olav v, olbers, olbers' paradox, olbers, heinrich wilhelm matthäus, olcott, old, old adam, old age, old age pension, old as adam, old bailey

Origin of old

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

SYNONYMS FOR old

1 Old, aged, elderly all mean well along in years. An old person has lived long, nearly to the end of the usual period of life. An aged person is very far advanced in years, and is usually afflicted with the infirmities of age. An elderly person is somewhat old, but usually has the mellowness, satisfactions, and joys of age ahead.

9 olden, early.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR old ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR old

1 young.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR old ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

old·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for old

So here I am in my requisite Lululemon pants, grunting along to an old hip-hop song at a most ungodly hour.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
To borrow an old right-wing talking point, these people are angry no matter what we do.
Harry Shearer on The Dangerous Business of Satire|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He plays an aging punk rocker and I play the drummer from his old band.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Note: UNICOR uses its inmates for everything from call center operators to human demolishers of old computers.
How a ‘Real Housewife’ Survives Prison: ‘I Don’t See [Teresa Giudice] Having a Cakewalk Here’|Michael Howard|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Indeed, although he works here in the old town, he lives in the new part of the city where he walks his dog in the morning.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech|Liza Foreman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Just then Mr. Blacksnake wedged his head in under the old log and began to push and wriggle harder than ever.
Mother West Wind's Animal Friends|Thornton W. Burgess
One could see that, in both places, something like an old world dignity of life had in the past been kept up.
A Canadian Manor and Its Seigneurs|George M. Wrong
Never could he look to the old gentleman for a friendly word, or a bit of help over a hard financial place again.
The Corner House Girls Growing Up|Grace Brooks Hill
A piece of old carpet was my saddle, and served me likewise for a seat, a table, and various other purposes.
Travels in Arabia|Bayard Taylor
The stillness of the wood quieted him finally, as it had always done, and he remembered his old friends the Greelys.
The Boy from Hollow Hut|Isla May Mullins

British Dictionary definitions for old

old

/ (əʊld) /

adjective

having lived or existed for a relatively long timean old man; an old tradition; old wine; an old house; an old country

of or relating to advanced years or a long lifeold age
(as collective noun; preceded by the)the old
old and young people of all ages

decrepit or senile

worn with age or useold clothes; an old car

(postpositive) having lived or existed for a specified perioda child who is six years old
(in combination)a six-year-old child
(as noun in combination)a six-year-old

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

(capital when part of a name) designating the form of a language in which the earliest known records are writtenOld English

(prenominal) familiar through long acquaintance or repetitionan old friend; an old excuse

practised; hardenedold in cunning

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

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

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

out-of-date; unfashionable

remote or distant in origin or time of originan old culture

(prenominal) former; previousmy old house was small

(prenominal) established for a relatively long timean old member
(in combination)old-established

sensible, wise, or matureold beyond one's years

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

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

(of crops) harvested late

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

little old informal indicating affection, esp humorous affectionmy little old wife

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

noun

an earlier or past time (esp in the phrase of old)in days of old

Derived Forms

oldish, adjectiveoldness, noun

Word Origin for old

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

usage

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

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

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

old

adjective, old·er, old·est or eld·er, eld·est.

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of old

SYNONYMS FOR old

ANTONYMS FOR old

Related forms

Examples from the Web for old

British Dictionary definitions for old

old

adjective

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for old

usage

Idioms and Phrases with old

old