Skip to main content

old — having lived for a long time; not young

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: having lived for a long time; not young

Pronunciation (IPA): /oʊld/

Example Sentences

  • My phone is so old that even dinosaurs would call it vintage!
  • She's not old, she's just chronologically gifted.
  • This old recipe has been passed down for generations.

old

ADJECTIVE

[/oʊld/]

having lived for a long time; not young

an elderly woman with gray hair and wrinkled hands sits on a bench reading a story to a small child. The grandmother's weathered face shows gentle smile lines as she points to pictures in the book. The young girl looks up at her grandmother with bright curious eyes, noticing the difference in their hands as they touch the same page. Years of life experience show in the grandmother's patient movements and knowing expression. A few other families walk by in the background, also showing different generations together.  someone who has lived for a long time and is not young anymore
💡 Concept

an elderly woman with gray hair and wrinkled hands sits on a bench reading a story to a small child. The grandmother's weathered face shows gentle smile lines as she points to pictures in the book. The young girl looks up at her grandmother with bright curious eyes, noticing the difference in their hands as they touch the same page. Years of life experience show in the grandmother's patient movements and knowing expression. A few other families walk by in the background, also showing different generations together. someone who has lived for a long time and is not young anymore

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/oʊld/
🇬🇧 UK/əʊld/

🌳Etymology

Rootold

Origin

Old is a deeply ancient Germanic word tracing back to Old English 'eald', which derives from the Proto-Indo-European root '*al-' meaning 'to grow' or 'to nourish'. The semantic shift from 'grown' to 'aged' reflects the natural progression of something that has grown for a long time.

Breakdown

The word evolved from Old English 'eald' (meaning aged or ancient) through Middle English 'old' to Modern English 'old'. The root '*al-' (grow/nourish) combined with an adjectival suffix to form words denoting advanced age or long duration.

🎵Rhyme

bold
cold
fold
gold
hold
sold
told

🔗Collocations

old age
old friend
old-fashioned
grow old
old habits
the good old days

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My phone is so old that even dinosaurs would call it vintage!”

😄 Fun example

“She's not old, she's just chronologically gifted.”

“This old recipe has been passed down for generations.”

😄 Fun example

“I'm too old for this drama, but not too old for ice cream!”

📚Related Words

Want to master 27,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.