old hat

American  

adjective

1. old-fashioned; dated.

2. trite from having long been used or known.

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old hat British  

adjective

1. (postpositive) old-fashioned or trite

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old hat Cultural  

1. Obsolete, old-fashioned: “Get with it, Murray; your methods are strictly old hat.”

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Etymology

Origin of old hat

First recorded in 1745–55

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Explanation

Anything that's old-hat has grown so familiar that it's boring or seems old-fashioned. Your grandfather's war stories might be fascinating to your friends, but after hearing them so many times, they're old-hat to you. A lot of what your'e studying in school might be exciting in September but completely old-hat by May. The same could be said of your lines in a play: they're a challenge to memorize and then thrilling to say on opening night, but if the show runs for a month, your part will soon be old-hat and you'll be ready to audition for a new role. This adjective was first recorded in the early twentieth century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

old hat

But from another point of view, this is all old hat.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026

“He was old hat, and Las Vegas was seen as the graveyard of the stars.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

All-time highs have become old hat to a market that’s seen the S&P 5oo notch nearly three dozen record closes this year, and the catalysts are familiar too: trade and tech.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025

One-time hick-hop rapper Jelly Roll is old hat at songs to soundtrack shirking child support payments, but he’s found a bit of a new lane in the path blazed by Wallen.

From Salon ● May 16, 2025

I could have just worn my navy turtleneck with your old hat.

From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead

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