old
Americanadjective
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far advanced in the years of one's or its life.
an old man;
an old horse;
an old tree.
- Antonyms:
- young
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of or relating to the latter part of the life or term of existence of a person or thing.
old age.
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as if or appearing to be far advanced in years.
Worry had made him old.
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having lived or existed for a specified time: a century-old organization.
a man 30 years old;
a century-old organization.
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having lived or existed as specified with relation to younger or newer persons or things.
Jim is our oldest boy.
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having been aged for a specified time.
This whiskey is eight years old.
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having been aged for a comparatively long time.
old brandy.
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long known or in use.
the same old excuse.
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overfamiliar to the point of tedium.
Some jokes get old fast.
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belonging to the past.
the good old days.
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having been in existence since the distant past.
a fine old family.
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no longer in general use.
Our dishwasher is an old model, so replacement parts are hard to find.
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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.
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of, relating to, or originating at an earlier period or date.
old maps.
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former; having been so formerly.
I ran into my old piano teacher the other day.
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There may have been an old land bridge between Asia and Alaska.
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Old, (of a language) in its oldest known period, as attested by the earliest written records.
Old Czech.
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He's an old hand at welding.
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of long standing; having been such for a comparatively long time.
an old and trusted employee.
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(of colors) dull, faded, or subdued.
old rose.
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deteriorated through age or long use; worn, decayed, or dilapidated.
old clothes.
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Physical Geography. (of landforms) far advanced in reduction by erosion or the like.
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sedate, sensible, mature, or wise.
That child seems old beyond his years.
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(used to indicate affection, familiarity, disparagement, or a personalization): that dirty old jalopy.
good old Bob;
that dirty old jalopy.
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Informal. (used as an intensive) great; uncommon.
a high old time.
noun
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(used with a plural verb) Usually the old old persons collectively.
appropriations to care for the old.
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a person or animal of a specified age or age group (used in combination): a horse race for three-year-olds.
a class for six-year-olds;
a horse race for three-year-olds.
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old or former time, often time long past.
days of old.
adjective
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having lived or existed for a relatively long time
an old man
an old tradition
old wine
an old house
an old country
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of or relating to advanced years or a long life
old age
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( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the old
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people of all ages
-
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decrepit or senile
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worn with age or use
old clothes
an old car
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(postpositive) having lived or existed for a specified period
a child who is six years old
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( in combination )
a six-year-old child
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( as noun in combination )
a six-year-old
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(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
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(capital when part of a name) designating the form of a language in which the earliest known records are written
Old English
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(prenominal) familiar through long acquaintance or repetition
an old friend
an old excuse
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practised; hardened
old in cunning
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cherished; dear: used as a term of affection or familiarity
good old George
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informal (with any of several nouns) used as a familiar form of address to a person
old thing
old bean
old stick
old fellow
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skilled through long experience (esp in the phrase an old hand )
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out-of-date; unfashionable
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remote or distant in origin or time of origin
an old culture
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(prenominal) former; previous
my old house was small
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(prenominal) established for a relatively long time
an old member
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( in combination )
old-established
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sensible, wise, or mature
old beyond one's years
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(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 mature
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(intensifier) (esp in phrases such as a good old time, any old thing, any old how, etc)
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(of crops) harvested late
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an earlier period of time regarded as better than the present
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informal indicating affection, esp humorous affection
my little old wife
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informal a jocular name for Satan
noun
Usage
Many people nowadays prefer to talk about older people rather than old people , and the phrase the old is best avoided altogether
Other Word Forms
- oldish adjective
- oldness noun
Etymology
Origin of old
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English eald, ald; cognate with Dutch old, German alt, Gothic altheis; akin to Old Norse ala “to nourish”
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
