old
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: Our dishwasher is an old model, so replacement parts are hard to find.
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.
former; having been so formerly: I ran into my old piano teacher the other day.
prehistoric; ancient: There may have been an old land bridge between Asia and Alaska.
Old, (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.
Usually the old .(used with a plural verb) old persons collectively: 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.
Origin of old
1Other words for old
Opposites for old
Other words from old
- old·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use old in a sentence
Average age ranges from 45 to 65, with her youngest client at 18 and the oldest in her 80s.
When my oldest child was a toddler, I treated illuminated screens like plutonium.
Yes, Your Toddler Can Watch TV: The New Rules for Screen Time | Russell Saunders | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhat started as a confectionary is now the oldest know restaurant in Japan.
Occasionally Lew Wasserman, the chairman of MCA and one of Hitchcock's oldest friends, rings up just to see how he is.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHarvard calls itself “the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.”
Thomas Bradford, the oldest master printer in America, died at Philadelphia, aged 94.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellBesides, that inspection did not pertain to me, since I was neither the oldest nor the most recent auditor.
These branches are only five in number, and the oldest of them is but a little over a year old.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsNever has it been so wretched, as is affirmed openly by the oldest residents here, as well as by me.
I shall speak of these in succession, beginning with the oldest and closing with the newest that has come under my observation.
Glances at Europe | Horace Greeley
British Dictionary definitions for old
/ (əʊld) /
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
decrepit or senile
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
(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
(capital when part of a name) designating the form of a language in which the earliest known records are written: Old English
(prenominal) familiar through long acquaintance or repetition: an old friend; an old excuse
practised; hardened: old in cunning
(prenominal often preceded by good) cherished; dear: used as a term of affection or familiarity: good old George
informal (with any of several nouns) used as a familiar form of address to a person: old 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 origin: an old culture
(prenominal) former; previous: my old house was small
(prenominal) established for a relatively long time: an old member
(in combination): old-established
sensible, wise, or mature: old 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 relief: See 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 affection: my little old wife
the old one or the old gentleman informal a jocular name for Satan
an earlier or past time (esp in the phrase of old): in days of old
Origin of old
1usage For old
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
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.
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