Old

/aːd/ adj, name, noun, slang

adj, name, noun, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.
  • Grammar: old is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: abandoned, abjured, adult, advanced.
  • Useful contrasts: brand new, ceno, current.
  • Usage evidence: He was a benevolent old man who volunteered to mow his neighbors' lawns for free.

How to use "old"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "old" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "old" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "old" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "old" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "old" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "abandoned" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "old", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group. countable, invariable, plural, plural-only, uncountable

    "A civilised society should always look after the old in the community."

  2. 2
    Abbreviation of online dating. Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, uncountable
  3. 3
    past times wordnet
  4. 4
    A person older than oneself, especially an adult in relation to a teenager. countable, slang, uncountable

    "Near-synonyms: geezer, oldie, oldster; see also Thesaurus:old person"

  5. 5
    Abbreviation of obsessive love disorder abbreviation, alt-of, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    One's parents. countable, slang, uncountable

    "I had to sneak out to meet my girlfriend and tell the olds I was going to the library."

  2. 7
    A typically dark-coloured lager brewed by the traditional top-fermentation method. Australia, uncountable

    "We crossed to the pub on the corner of Carlisle Street and I ordered two schooners of old for him and one of light for me."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.

    "an old abandoned building"

  2. 2
    Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.; Of a living being, having lived for most of the expected years.

    "a wrinkled old man"

  3. 3
    Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.; Of a perishable item, having existed for most of, or more than, its shelf life.

    "an old loaf of bread"

  4. 4
    Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.; Of a species or language, belonging to a lineage that is distantly related to others.

    "the ginkgo is one of the oldest living trees"

  5. 5
    Having been used and thus no longer new or unused.

    "I find that an old toothbrush is good to clean the keyboard with."

Show 12 more definitions
  1. 6
    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."

  2. 7
    Of an earlier time.; Former, previous.

    "My new car is not as good as my old one.  a school reunion for Old Etonians"

  3. 8
    Of an earlier time.; That is no longer in existence.

    "The footpath follows the route of an old railway line."

  4. 9
    Of an earlier time.; Obsolete; out-of-date.

    "That is the old way of doing things; now we do it this way."

  5. 10
    Of an earlier time.; Familiar.

    "When he got drunk and quarrelsome they just gave him the old heave-ho."

  6. 11
    Of an earlier time.; Being a graduate or alumnus of a school, especially a public school. UK
  7. 12
    Tiresome after prolonged repetition.

    "Rik: But even great shtick can get old real fast: the dreaded Saturday Night Live syndrome. Jim: Randomness can help - many Living Books have characters that do different things each time you click on them."

  8. 13
    Said of subdued colors, particularly reds, pinks and oranges, as if they had faded over time.
  9. 14
    A grammatical intensifier, often used in describing something positive, and combined with another adjective.

    "We're having a good old time."

  10. 15
    Indicating affection and familiarity. informal

    "Finally, when they were all done slobbering around, old Sally introduced us."

  11. 16
    Designed for a mature audience; unsuitable for children below a certain age.

    "Monsieur's story is too old for our Juvenile Magazine."

  12. 17
    Excessive, abundant. obsolete

    "URSULA: Madam, you must come to your uncle. Yonder's old coil at home: it is proved, my Lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the prince and Claudio mightily abused;"

Adjective
  1. 1
    just preceding something else in time or order wordnet
  2. 2
    of a very early stage in development wordnet
  3. 3
    skilled through long experience wordnet
  4. 4
    (used for emphasis) very familiar wordnet
  5. 5
    excellent wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    of long duration; not new wordnet
  2. 7
    (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age wordnet
  3. 8
    belonging to some prior time wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Initialism of Oxford Latin Dictionary. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
  2. 2
    A surname. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    A village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire district, Northamptonshire, England, previously in Daventry district (OS grid ref SP7873). countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
abandonedabjuredadultadvancedadvanced in lifeadvanced in years

Antonyms

brand newcenocurrentfresh

Example

"He was a benevolent old man who volunteered to mow his neighbors' lawns for free."

Common questions

What does "old" mean?

People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.

What is a synonym for "old"?

Common synonyms include: abandoned, abjured, adult, advanced, advanced in life, advanced in years.

How do you use "old" in a sentence?

He was a benevolent old man who volunteered to mow his neighbors' lawns for free.

How do you pronounce "old"?

Pronounced /aːd/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

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”). Cognates Cognate with Scots aald, auld (“old”), Yola yola, yolaw, yold, yole (“old”), North Frisian ool, ual, uuil, uul, üülj (“old”), Saterland Frisian oold (“old”), West Frisian âld (“old”), Alemannic German altu, oalt, oalts, olt, àltà (“old”), Bavarian oid (“old”), Central Franconian alt, aod, auw, oot (“old”), Cimbrian, German alt (“old”), Dutch oud, oudt (“old”), German Low German old, oolt (“old”), Luxembourgish al (“old”), Mòcheno òlt (“old”), Vilamovian aołd (“old”), Yiddish אַלט (alt, “old”), Danish ældre (“elderly”), Faroese eldri (“elder, older”), Icelandic aldinn (“old”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk eldre (“elderly”), Swedish äldre (“elderly”), Crimean Gothic alt (“old”), Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹𐍃 (alþeis, “old”), Latin altus (“high, tall, grown big, lofty”). Related to eld.

Etymology 2

* In Northamptonshire, recorded as Walda in 1086 (DB), becoming Wolde in the 14th century, and later Old. From Old English or Old Saxon wald.

More for "old"

Synonyms

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