Logo
Search icon

old

/ˈɒʊld/

noun

Meaning

  • (with the, invariable plural only) People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.

    "A civilised society should always look after the old in the community."

  • (in combination) One of a specified age.

    "when he was an eight-year-old ; a 62-year-old should"

  • A person older than oneself, especially an adult in relation to a teenager.

  • (most often plural) One's parents.

    "I had to sneak out to meet my girlfriend and tell the olds I was going to the library."

adjective

Meaning

  • Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.

    "an old abandoned building;  an old friend"

  • Having been used and thus no longer new or unused.

    "I find that an old toothbrush is good to clean the keyboard with."

  • Having existed or lived for the specified time.

    "How old are they? She’s five years old and he's seven. We also have a young teen and a two-year-old child."

  • (heading) Of an earlier time.

  • Tiresome after prolonged repetition.

    "Your constant pestering is getting old."

  • Said of subdued colors, particularly reds, pinks and oranges, as if they had faded over time.

  • A grammatical intensifier, often used in describing something positive. (Mostly in idioms like good old, big old and little old, any old and some old.)

    "We're having a good old time. My next car will be a big old SUV.  My wife makes the best little old apple pie in Texas."

  • Excessive, abundant.

Synonyms

erstwhile,
ex-,
former,
one-time,
past,
ancient,
long in the tooth,
aged,
of age,
aged,
ageing,
aging,
elderly,
long in the tooth,
on in years,
antiquated,
obsolete,
outdated