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

Remember when the Australia squad was written off as ageing, creaking and over the hill?

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025

With the same thought in mind, Vanessa Abbott, a film editor who lives in Calabasas, popped over the hill Thursday for lunch.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2025

A tank rumbled over the hill, dust and gravel spewing from its treads.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo