# antique

/ænˈtik/ (US) · /æntˈiːk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/antique
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a valuable old object

noun · CEFR B1

an object, such as a piece of furniture or jewelry, that is old and often valuable.

For teachers: a collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has high value because of its considerable age.

- The shop in the village sells beautiful antiques from the nineteenth century.
- The family decided to auction off several valuable antiques, including a mahogany writing desk that had been passed down through four generations.

### 2. an old person

noun · CEFR C1 · Humorous · Informal

a funny or slightly mean way to describe a person who is very old.

For teachers: a person of advanced age. Used figuratively and often with a mildly derogatory or humorous intent.

- My grandfather calls himself an antique because he can't understand how to use a smartphone.
- The veteran professor joked that he was a bit of an antique compared to the fresh-faced doctoral students in his seminar.

### 3. made long ago

adjective · CEFR B1

made in an earlier period and not modern.

For teachers: belonging to a former era; specifically relating to ancient times or simply being of a style from the past.

- She loves wearing antique lace dresses that she finds in second-hand shops.
- The hotel lobby was decorated with antique mirrors and heavy velvet curtains to create an atmosphere of old-world elegance.

### 4. to make something look old

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to treat an object so that it looks like it is an antique.

For teachers: to treat the surface of an object, such as furniture, to give it the appearance of being an antique.

- He used a special dark paint to antique the new picture frame.
- The artisan spent hours carefully antiquing the cabinet doors to match the original woodwork of the seventeenth-century manor.

Usage: The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

## Examples

- My grandmother left me a beautiful antique desk.
- The couple spent their weekends visiting small towns to search for a rare antique to place in their hallway.
- While many reproductions look authentic to the untrained eye, a true antique possesses a patina and construction method that reveal its historical origins to a specialist.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.