old

old [ ould ] adjective ***

▸ 1 for talking about age

▸ 2 having lived a long time

▸ 3 not new

▸ 4 that existed in the past

▸ 5 for showing you like someone

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) used for talking about the age of someone or something:

how old: She didn't mention how old her children were.

How old are you?

old enough to do something: He's not old enough to see this movie.

too old to do something: Aren't you too old to play with dolls?

a ) a 3-year-old/10-month-old etc. someone who has been alive for 3 years/10 months etc.:

I have two children, a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old.

b ) be 5 years/10 months etc. old to have been alive or to have existed for 5 years/10 months etc.:

My daughter Sophia is 3 years old.

European cities are centuries older than ours.

c ) used for saying that someone is not as young as other people:

He's 26 now, which is quite old in this sport.

the oldest: He's the oldest boy in his class.

older than: I'm older than my brother.

2. ) someone who is old has lived a long time:

A lot of old people live alone.

get/grow old: I hope I'll still be able to play golf when I get old.

a ) the old old people. Many people now think that this expression is offensive.

3. ) something that is old has existed or been used for a long time:

There's an old belief that animals can predict earthquakes.

Her sewing machine's really old, it was her mother's.

Trees are the oldest living things on the planet.

a ) only before noun used in a negative way about something that is not useful or in good condition any more:

Why do you keep all these old newspapers?

That old car of theirs is getting so unreliable.

b ) only before noun used in a positive way about something that is very familiar:

It was nice to get back into my old routine.

c ) an old friend/ally/enemy etc. someone who has been your friend/ally/enemy etc. for a very long time:

Pam and Sue are old friends.

4. ) only before noun used for describing something that existed, happened, or was used in the past:

Thy is an old way of saying your.

Look at all these old machines!

a ) used for referring to something that has been replaced by a newer thing of the same type:

The old highway to Salinas only had two lanes.

b ) used with the names of cities and countries, for referring to the oldest part or to the way it was in the past:

a tour of Warsaw's picturesque Old Town

c ) used with the names of languages to refer to the form of the language that was used in the past:

a poem written in Old English

d ) an old student/girlfriend etc. someone who was your student/girlfriend etc. in the past:

I still get letters from some of my old students.

5. ) INFORMAL used for showing that you like someone and care about them:

How is my old buddy Jim?

dear old: Dear old Emily, what would we do without her?

a ) poor old INFORMAL used for showing sympathy toward someone:

Poor old Diane, she really wanted that job.

(as) old as the hills SPOKEN

extremely old:

I like your dress. Really? It's as old as the hills.

for old times' sake

so that you can remember a happy time in the past:

Let's go back to Boston, for old times' sake.

of old MAINLY LITERARY

used for describing people and things from long ago in the past:

He was like a knight of old.

old enough to be someone's mother/father

much older than a particular person. This phrase is usually used for talking about two people who are having a romantic relationship.

your old self

the way you normally were in the past, before something happened:

Now you're talking like your old self again!

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