over the hill

Idioms  

1. Past one's prime, as in I'm a little over the hill to be playing contact sports. This term, alluding to a climber who has reached a mountaintop and is now descending, has been used figuratively for the decline caused by aging since the mid-1900s.

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Explanation

Use the adjective over-the-hill when you need a blunt way to describe someone as really old. You might feel over-the-hill if you can't keep up with the little boy you're babysitting. When someone is over-the-hill, he's too old to be of much use, like a former football player who's past his prime. It's more common for a person to describe himself as over-the-hill than to talk about someone else this way: "I just turned sixty — I'm officially over-the-hill." It's also commonly used in a joking way. This phrase has been around since about 1950.

Example Sentences

“I’m not over the hill, but I’m on top of the hill with a view in both directions,” Kelly told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

Today is my birthday, and I’m feeling a bit over the hill.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

He would catch the No. 4 bus home, which runs all night on Santa Monica Boulevard, and I would take the Canyon over the hill back to my place.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

Was Hamilton over the hill, some wondered after qualifying?

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

The hamebells of a wood team sounded from way over the hill on the county road.

From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck