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Synonyms

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 belonging to, characteristic of, or favoured by former times; outdated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

noun

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

"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

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But I’m old fashioned, and young comics are going to probably make fun of me, but I think the cream tends to rise.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Meanwhile, old fashioned conglomerate Berkshire-Hathaway is changing hands with Warren Buffett stepping down at the age of 95.

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2026

With installations focused on the fabled, traffic-free, open road “freedom” that car manufacturers like to so often tout, there’s something quaintly old fashioned here.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2025

However, McElligott reckons that this narrative of more skeptical AI thinking has been used to explain what in essence is simply old fashioned profit-taking after a strong run.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 19, 2025

She wore a gray silk gown of an old fashioned cut.

From The Automobile Girls at Palm Beach Proving Their Mettle Under Southern Skies by Crane, Laura Dent

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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