old
/ould/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Having lived or existed for a long time: Used to describe a person, animal, or thing that has been alive or in existence for a long period.
- Not new or recent: Used to describe something that was made, created, or established a long time ago.
- Belonging to the past; former: Used to describe something that existed or was used in a previous time.
- Used to express familiarity or affection: Used informally, often before a name or noun, to indicate a long-standing, familiar, or affectionate relationship.
- Used for emphasis: Used informally to add emphasis, often in set phrases.
Noun:
- Past times; former days: Used to refer to a time long past, especially in the phrase 'of old' or 'in days of old'.
Examples of Usage
Adjective:
- His mother is very old. (Describing a person's advanced age.)
- They live in an old house. (Describing something not new.)
- She found her old school books. (Describing something belonging to a former time.)
- How are you, old friend? (Expressing familiarity and affection.)
- We had a high old time at the party. (Used for emphasis in an informal phrase.)
Noun:
- The stories are from the days of old. (Referring to past times.)
Advanced Usage
- "any old": Used informally to mean 'any at all', emphasizing a lack of specificity or preference.
- Just wear any old clothes for gardening.
- "good old" / "poor old": Used to express affection, sympathy, or nostalgia.
- Let's go back to my good old hometown.
- Poor old John missed the bus again.
- "old as the hills": An idiom meaning extremely old.
- That joke is as old as the hills.
Variants and Related Words
- Olden (adj): Belonging to a past age (often used in the phrase 'olden days').
- Older (adj): Comparative form of 'old'.
- Oldest (adj): Superlative form of 'old'.
- Oldish (adj): Somewhat old.
Synonyms
- Aged: Having lived for a long time; very old.
- Ancient: Belonging to the very distant past.
- Former: Having previously been a particular thing.
- Venerable: Accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.
Antonyms
- Young: Having lived or existed for only a short time.
- New: Not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.
- Modern: Relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past.
- Current: Belonging to the present time; happening or being used or done now.
Related Idioms
- "old hand": A person with a lot of experience in something.
- She's an old hand at organizing events.
- "old school": Adhering to traditional ideas or methods.
- His teaching style is very old school.
- "old hat": Something that is boringly familiar or outdated.
- That theory is considered old hat now.
- "pay an old debt": To settle a long-standing obligation.
- He finally paid that old debt.
Noun
- past times (especially in the phrase `in days of old')
Adjective
- just preceding something else in time or order
- the previous owner
- my old house was larger
- of a very early stage in development
- Old English is also called Anglo Saxon
- Old High German is High German from the middle of the 9th to the end of the 11th century
- (used informally especially for emphasis)
- a real honest-to-god live cowboy
- had us a high old time
- went upriver to look at a sure-enough fish wheel
- belonging to some prior time
- erstwhile friend
- our former glory
- the once capital of the state
- her quondam lover
- skilled through long experience
- an old offender
- the older soldiers
- (used for emphasis) very familiar
- good old boy
- same old story
- of long duration; not new
- old tradition
- old house
- old wine
- old country
- old friendships
- old money
- (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
- his mother is very old
- a ripe old age
- how old are you?