INDEX:
not young
1. not young
2. older than someone else
3. too old to do something
4. to become or start to look old
5. an old person
6. relating to old people
7. the time when someone is old
not new
8. not new
9. when something has been used before
10. old and valuable
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ YOUNG
how old someone is : ↑ AGE
old and mentally ill : ↑ MENTALLY ILL
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1. not young
▷ old /əʊld/ [adjective]
▪ She wanted to have a baby before she was too old.
▪ For the first time in my life, I feel old.
▪ An old man was in the park feeding the pigeons.
too old for somebody
too old to have a romantic relationship with someone
▪ She shouldn’t marry him - he’s much too old for her.
▷ elderly /ˈeldəʳli/ [adjective]
old - use this as a polite way of talking about old people :
▪ A group of elderly ladies sat drinking coffee in the cafeteria.
▪ An elderly Englishwoman was seated next to me on the plane.
▪ A few decades ago, the average cruise ship passenger was elderly, affluent, and retired. Not anymore.
▷ ageing/aging /ˈeɪdʒɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
ageing rock star/movie star/hippy/romeo etc
one who is becoming old, especially in an unattractive way, and seems too old to be a rock star, film star etc :
▪ The bar was fill with ageing hippies.
▪ These days, most of the houses in the Hollywood Hills are owned by aging movie stars and rich businessmen.
▷ ancient /ˈeɪnʃ ə nt/ [adjective] especially British
a humorous but slightly unkind word meaning very old :
▪ He’s not just old, he’s ancient.
absolutely/completely/really etc ancient
▪ Mum looks absolutely ancient in this picture.
▷ be getting on /biː ˌgetɪŋ ˈɒn/ [verb phrase] informal
to be fairly old :
▪ Cal is getting on a bit and doesn’t play much golf anymore.
getting on in years
▪ Ethel’s getting on in years now -- she must be in her late 60s.
▷ not be as young as you were /nɒt biː əz ˌjʌŋ əz juː ˈwɜːʳ/ [verb phrase]
if you say you are not as young as you were, you mean you are getting old, especially so that you are not strong enough or healthy enough to do things that you used to do :
▪ We do go out sometimes, but not very often. I guess we’re not as young as we used to be.
▪ ‘I’m not as young as I once was,’ concedes the cigar-chomping, 48-year-old Mr. Tiant.
▷ wrinkled /ˈrɪŋk ə ld/ [adjective]
skin that is wrinkled has lines on it that are caused by old age :
▪ Her face looked old and wrinkled in the morning light.
wrinkled old man/woman
▪ At the far end of the market, a wrinkled old woman sat smoking a pipe.
▷ wizened /ˈwɪz ə nd/ [adjective]
a wizened old man or woman has a small, bent body and lines on their skin because they are very old :
▪ He barely recognized her wizened face and haggard features.
wizened old man/woman
▪ The door was opened by a wizened old man clutching a walking stick.
▷ middle-aged /ˌmɪdl ˈeɪdʒd◂/ [adjective]
not young anymore but not yet old, usually between the ages of around 40 to 65 :
▪ The condition predominantly affects middle-aged or elderly females.
▪ a middle-aged businessman
2. older than someone else
▷ older /ˈəʊldəʳ/ [adjective]
▪ I have one older brother and two younger brothers.
▪ People say that older people need less sleep.
older than
▪ Donna’s husband’s a lot older than she is.
▷ elder /ˈeldəʳ/ [adjective only before noun]
elder brother/sister
someone’s older brother or sister :
▪ Wright’s elder sister is also an actor.
▪ John’s elder brother died in a boating accident.
▷ eldest /ˈeldɪst, ˈeldəst/ [adjective]
eldest brother/sister/son/daughter
someone’s oldest brother, sister, son, or daughter :
▪ I shared a bedroom with my eldest sister.
▪ Their eldest son, Howard, is an administrator at Castle Park High School.
the eldest
the oldest
▪ Rosie was the eldest of our four daughters.
▷ oldest /ˈəʊldɪst, ˈəʊldəst/ [adjective]
▪ Did you know that the oldest woman in America is 110 years old?
▪ Tonya, our oldest daughter, got married in April.
▷ elders /ˈeldəʳz/ [plural noun]
your elders are people who are older than you, such as your parents or teachers, and who you should therefore respect and be polite to :
your elders
▪ Respect your elders.
▪ You shouldn’t talk to your elders like that!
3. too old to do something
▷ be past it /biː ˈpɑːst ɪtǁ-ˈpæst-/ [verb phrase] British informal :
▪ Talbot’s past it -- he should have given up playing basketball long ago.
▪ I’m starting to think I’m past it -- I’m not nearly as quick as I used to be.
▷ be over the hill /biː ˌəʊvəʳ ðə ˈhɪl/ [verb phrase]
if you are over the hill, you are no longer young or attractive, and your mental and physical abilities are getting weaker :
▪ By that time, many in government viewed De Gaulle as over the hill.
▪ According to the survey, many employers regard staff over the age of 45 as over the hill.
▷ be a bit long in the tooth /biː ə bɪt ˌlɒŋ ɪn ðə ˈtuːθǁ-ˌlɔːŋ-/ British /be a little long in the tooth /biː ə lɪtl ˌlɒŋ ɪn ðə ˈtuːθǁ-ˌlɔːŋ-/ American [verb phrase]
old, especially too old to do something :
▪ A lot of the top English players are getting a bit long in the tooth.
4. to become or start to look old
▷ get/grow old /ˌget, ˌgrəʊ ˈəʊld/ [verb phrase]
▪ Aunt Bertha’s getting old now, and she needs someone to take care of her.
grow old gracefully
accept old age easily
▪ She wanted to grow old gracefully, and retire to a cottage in the country.
▷ age /eɪdʒ/ [intransitive verb]
if someone ages, they change so that they look older, because they have lived a long time or because they have suffered a lot over a particular period :
▪ I couldn’t believe how much she had aged.
▪ She noticed for the first time how Frederick had aged.
▪ Western men tend to age more quickly than Japanese men.
▷ ageing/aging /ˈeɪdʒɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
the process of becoming old :
▪ Our society is full of negative attitudes towards ageing and old people.
the ageing/aging process
▪ Some memory loss is a normal part of the aging process.
premature ageing/aging
ageing earlier than usual
▪ His hair was white and he showed other signs of premature ageing.
▷ show your age /ˌʃəʊ jɔːr ˈeɪdʒ/ [verb phrase]
if someone shows their age, they look older, or they talk or behave in a way that makes other people realize they are old :
▪ She’s still very beautiful, but she’s starting to show her age now.
▪ This is probably showing my age, but I remember when popcorn cost 25 cents and came in those little white paper bags.
5. an old person
▷ old man/woman/lady etc /ˌəʊld ˈmæn/ [countable noun]
▪ The old lady was rather deaf.
▪ When the militia was called up, old men and boys were drafted as well.
dirty old man
an older man who is too sexually interested in younger women
▪ Charles wondered if he was becoming a dirty old man.
grumpy old man
an old man who is easily annoyed and complains a lot
▪ My grandfather was an old-fashioned, bigoted, grumpy old man.
the old /ði ˈəʊld/ [plural noun]
old people :
▪ The old and the sick were the first to be evacuated.
▷ the elderly /ði ˈeldəʳli/ [plural noun]
old people - used especially to talk about the needs of old people or services for them :
▪ Right now, only 6 percent of the elderly in the United States receive public assistance.
▪ The programs have been highly successful at reducing poverty rates among the elderly.
▷ senior citizen also senior American /ˌsiːniəʳ ˈsɪtə̇z ə n, ˈsiːniəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who is above the age of 60 - use this to talk about older people as a group, and their particular interests, rights etc :
▪ Admission prices are £6 for adults, £5 for senior citizens and £3 for children.
▪ Many seniors have very active lives.
▷ pensioner/old age pensioner /ˈpenʃ ə nəʳ, ˌəʊld eɪdʒ ˈpenʃ ə nəʳ/ [countable noun] British
an old person who has stopped working and receives money from the government :
▪ Many pensioners cannot afford to heat their homes in winter.
▪ Old age pensioners can travel free on the buses.
▷ retired /rɪˈtaɪəʳd/ [adjective]
a retired person is someone who is old and has stopped working :
▪ The company specializes in holidays for retired people.
▪ Our neighbours were an old retired couple.
retired judge/engineer/police officer etc
▪ Among those attending was a retired federal judge from Philadelphia named Bennett Mayall.
retiree /rɪˌtaɪ ə ˈriː/ [countable noun]
a retired person :
▪ Florida is the perfect place for retirees.
▷ old timer /ˌəʊld ˈtaɪməʳ/ [countable noun] American informal
an old man - often used humorously :
▪ What can I do for you, old timer?
▪ The three-day event is a chance for old timers to get together and swap war stories.
6. relating to old people
▷ geriatric /ˌdʒeriˈætrɪk◂/ [adjective only before noun]
geriatric hospital/medicine/patient etc
▪ Geriatric hospitals are often severely under-staffed.
▪ The clinic specializes in geriatric medicine.
▷ grey /greɪ/ [adjective only before noun] British
used about the political or economic power of old people as a group :
▪ the grey power movement in Britain
▪ Conservatives have started to realize that they cannot take the grey vote for granted.
7. the time when someone is old
▷ old age /ˌəʊld ˈeɪdʒ◂/ [uncountable noun]
the time in someone’s life when they are old :
▪ She’s a little forgetful, but that comes with old age.
▪ the problems of old age
in old age
British
▪ By now, both were in extreme old age.
▷ dotage /ˈdəʊtɪdʒ/ []
the time in someone’s life when they are old, especially when their mind becomes weak - used especially in written English :
in your dotage
▪ Thurmond is as mean in his dotage as he was in his younger days.
8. not new
▷ old /əʊld/ [adjective]
▪ Sue was wearing jeans and an old blue jacket.
▪ What she loved most about the old house was its privacy and spaciousness.
▪ The Luna Baglioni is one of the oldest hotels in Venice.
▷ ancient /ˈeɪnʃ ə nt/ [adjective]
very old - use this about buildings, cities, countries, languages, or customs that existed many hundreds of years ago :
▪ Rome is famous for its ancient monuments.
▪ an ancient Greek vase
ancient Egypt/Rome/Babylon etc
▪ the pyramids of ancient Egypt
the ancient Egyptians/Chinese/Greeks etc
the people who lived in Egypt etc many hundreds of years ago
▪ The ancient Chinese believed that we are born with a finite amount of energy in our bodies called chi.
▷ age-old /ˈeɪdʒ əʊld/ [adjective only before noun]
age-old symbol/custom/tradition etc
one that has existed for a very long time :
▪ The vine is an age-old symbol of peace and prosperity.
▪ man’s age-old fear of snakes
▷ ancient /ˈeɪnʃ ə nt/ [adjective] informal
very old, used especially for describing machines, equipment etc :
▪ This refrigerator is ancient -- it’s time we bought a new one.
▪ Doc drives an ancient Ford convertible.
▷ be years old /biː ˈjɪəʳz ˌəʊld/ [verb phrase] British informal
if you say that something is years old, you mean it is very old :
▪ ‘I like your sweater.’ ‘Oh, thanks. It’s years old -- I’ve had it since I was a teenager.’
▷ be as old as the hills /biː əz ˌəʊld əz ðə ˈhɪlz/ [verb phrase]
stories, jokes, customs etc that are as old as the hills are so old that no one remembers when they were first invented :
▪ That story is as old as the hills!
9. when something has been used before
▷ old /əʊld/ [adjective only before noun]
old clothes, books, chairs etc have already been worn or used a lot by someone else :
▪ My parents are giving us their old sofa.
▪ Do you have any old magazines the kids can cut up?
▪ I was the youngest one in the family, so I had to wear my sisters’ old clothes.
▷ second-hand /ˌsekənd ˈhænd◂/ [adjective]
second-hand books, clothes, cars etc have already been owned by someone else and are then sold :
▪ Max spent the whole afternoon looking around a second-hand book store.
▪ Do you know where I can buy a second-hand bicycle?
▪ second-hand clothing
buy/get something second-hand
▪ ‘Is that table new?’ ‘No, we got it second-hand.’
▷ used /juːzd/ [adjective only before noun]
a used car, book, musical instrument etc is one that someone else has already owned :
▪ He made his money buying and selling used cars.
▪ This huge Portland bookshop is crammed with more than 1 million new and used books organized into 122 subject areas.
10. old and valuable
▷ antique /ænˈtiːk/ [adjective]
antique furniture, jewellery, clocks etc are old and valuable, and often beautiful to look at :
▪ a lovely antique desk
▪ Jacobs collects antique fountain pens.
▷ vintage /ˈvɪntɪdʒ/ [adjective only before noun]
use this about a car or a wine that is old and one of the best of its type :
▪ ‘A lot of people have never been in an open car,’ says Mike Jacobsen, a computer programmer, who has four vintage convertibles.
▪ They lunched on lobster and strawberries, accompanied by a fine vintage champagne.
▷ antique /ænˈtiːk/ [countable noun usually plural]
something such as a piece of furniture or a beautiful object that is old and valuable :
▪ The house is full of valuable antiques.
antique shop/dealer/market
one that sells antiques
▪ While some of the people attending were looking to decorate their own houses, most appeared to be antique dealers.