Word
Definition
adj. having lived or existed for a long time. You use this to describe people, animals, or things that are not young or new.
adj. having lived or existed for a significant period of time; no longer young or new. Often modified by degree adverbs like 'very' or 'quite'.
Examples
“My grandfather is a very old man.”
“The researchers found an old map in the library that showed the city as it looked two hundred years ago.”
“While modern architecture focuses on glass and steel, many people still prefer the character and history found in old stone buildings that have stood for centuries.”
Examples
simple
“My grandfather is a very old man.”
contextual
“The researchers found an old map in the library that showed the city as it looked two hundred years ago.”
complex
“While modern architecture focuses on glass and steel, many people still prefer the character and history found in old stone buildings that have stood for centuries.”
Usage
Typically placed before a noun or after a linking verb like 'be' or 'become'.
Pitfall
He is more old than me
He is older than me
The adjective 'old' is a one-syllable word and uses the '-er' suffix for its comparative form.
Confusables
Elderly is a polite, formal term for people in late life, while old is a direct, neutral descriptor for anything that has existed for a long time.
RememberElderly = Respectful for people. Old = Direct for everything.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
02. bad old days
03. big old
07. give someone the old heave-ho
08. green old age
09. little old
Show all 41
12. new wine in an old wineskin
13. old as the hills
14. old boy network
15. old chestnut
17. old fart
18. old flame
19. old fogey
20. old hand
21. old hat
22. old head on young shoulders
23. old money
24. old salt
25. old saw
26. old school
27. old song
28. old stager
29. old stick
33. play Old Harry
35. put new wine in old bottles
37. ripe old age
38. same old story
40. the old woman is plucking her goose
41. time of old
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/old
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0