old Meaning & Definition
What Does Old Mean?
As a symbol, old means ISO 639-3 language code for Mochi. As an adjective, it means Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time. As a noun, it means People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.
Old: Key Facts
| Part of speech | symbol, adjective, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //əʊld// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | cold, archaic and hoary |
| Antonyms | immature, new and young |
| Plural | olds |
| Comparative / superlative | older, oldest |
Old Definition (Symbol)
- ISO 639-3 language code for Mochi.
Old as an Adjective
- Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.
an old abandoned building
- Of a living being, having lived for most of the expected years.
a wrinkled old man
- Of a perishable item, having existed for most of, or more than, its shelf life.
an old loaf of bread
- Of a species or language, belonging to a lineage that is distantly related to others.
the ginkgo is one of the oldest living trees
- Having been used and thus no longer new or unused.
I find that an old toothbrush is good to clean the keyboard with.
- Having existed or lived for the specified time.
How old are they? She’s five years old and he's seven. We also have a young teen and a two-year-old child.
- Of an earlier time.
Former, previous.
My new car is not as good as my old one. a school reunion for Old Etonians
- Former, previous.
My new car is not as good as my old one. a school reunion for Old Etonians
- That is no longer in existence.
The footpath follows the route of an old railway line.
- Obsolete; out-of-date.
That is the old way of doing things; now we do it this way.
- Familiar.
When he got drunk and quarrelsome they just gave him the old heave-ho.
- Being a graduate or alumnus of a school, especially a public school.
- Tiresome after prolonged repetition.
Your constant pestering is getting old.
- Said of subdued colors, particularly reds, pinks and oranges, as if they had faded over time.
- A grammatical intensifier, often used in describing something positive, and combined with another adjective.
We're having a good old time.
- Indicating affection and familiarity.
- Designed for a mature audience; unsuitable for children below a certain age.
- Excessive, abundant.
Old as a Noun
- People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.
A civilised society should always look after the old in the community.
- A person older than oneself, especially an adult in relation to a teenager.
I'm not letting an old wreck my good time today.
- One's parents.
I had to sneak out to meet my girlfriend and tell the olds I was going to the library.
- A typically dark-coloured lager brewed by the traditional top-fermentation method.
Noun
- (with the, invariable plural only) People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.
A civilised society should always look after the old in the community.
- (in combination) One of a specified age.
when he was an eight-year-old ; a 62-year-old should
- (most often plural) One's parents.
I had to sneak out to meet my girlfriend and tell the olds I was going to the library.
Adjective
- (heading) Of an earlier time.
- A grammatical intensifier, often used in describing something positive. (Mostly in idioms like good old, big old and little old, any old and some old.)
We're having a good old time. My next car will be a big old SUV. My wife makes the best little old apple pie in Texas.
Synonyms of Old
Antonyms of Old
Old in a Sentence
an old abandoned building
an old friend
a wrinkled old man
an old loaf of bread
the ginkgo is one of the oldest living trees
Basque is the oldest language in Europe
I find that an old toothbrush is good to clean the keyboard with.
How old are they? She’s five years old and he's seven. We also have a young teen and a two-year-old child.
My great-grandfather lived to be a hundred and one years old.
The day was only a few hours old.
My new car is not as good as my old one. a school reunion for Old Etonians
The footpath follows the route of an old railway line.
That is the old way of doing things; now we do it this way.
When he got drunk and quarrelsome they just gave him the old heave-ho.
She always makes the same old excuses.
Your constant pestering is getting old.
We're having a good old time.
My next car will be a big old SUV.
My wife makes the best little old apple pie in Texas.
Look at Murphy playing with newest old favorite toy; he loves it!
any old
A civilised society should always look after the old in the community.
I'm not letting an old wreck my good time today.
I'm not letting any olds wreck my good time today.
I had to sneak out to meet my girlfriend and tell the olds I was going to the library.
when he was an eight-year-old ; a 62-year-old should
an old abandoned building; an old friend
We're having a good old time. My next car will be a big old SUV. My wife makes the best little old apple pie in Texas.
Word Forms & Grammar
old (comparative older or elder, superlative oldest or eldest or (US, dialectal) oldermost)
old (countable and uncountable, plural olds)
Words That Rhyme With Old
Origin of Old
Inherited from Middle English old, oold, from Old English ald, eald (“old, aged, ancient, antique, primeval”), from Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz (“grown-up”), originally a participle form, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós (“grown, tall, big”).
Old Pronunciation
You say old as //əʊld//. It has 1 syllable.
Quick Answers About Old
Is old a symbol or an adjective?
Old is mainly used as a symbol, but it can also be used as an adjective and a noun.
What is another word for old?
You can replace old with words such as cold, archaic and hoary. See the full list of old synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of old?
The plural of old is olds.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of old?
The comparative form is older and the superlative form is oldest.