ripe old age

Idioms  

1. An age advanced in years, as in I expect to live to a ripe old age. The adjective ripe here means “fully developed physically and mentally,” but the current use of the idiom usually just signifies a long lifespan. [Second half of 1300s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ripe old age

Much to my chagrin, I failed — and if the data is any indication, living to a ripe old age isn’t as much of a given as I expected.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Frank Epperson accidentally hit upon his innovation at the ripe old age of 11.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026

There's Alex Ferguson, who has lived to a ripe old age, but he's in the same camp.

From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2025

Syd Barrett, a founder of Pink Floyd, lived to be 60 — hardly a ripe old age.

From New York Times ● Jul. 13, 2023

She lived to a ripe old age and even at the end she would frequently speak of him in conversation or tell stories about his headstrong ways to my children.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

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