good old

phrase

variants or less commonly good ol' or good ole
informal
used before a noun to describe a familiar person or thing with affection or approval
Good old John: you can always count on him to help.
I don't need fancy shoes. I prefer good old sneakers.
They were talking about the good old days.

Examples of good old in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Canadian gay hockey romance launched fujoshi fandom into the mainstream, proving audiences — and women, in particular — had a desire to watch two young guys roll around in some good old-fashioned smut. David MacK, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 When the two storylines collide, Nolan stages a clash of A-list titans that throws the director’s usual cerebral machinations aside and instead satisfies his audience with some good old-fashion bloodlust. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 Leaving Sugar to track Ji via good old-fashioned analog detective work. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 July 2026 Construction laborers rank third, with automation pegged at over $285,000 a year versus a $47,100 wage, roughly six times the cost of just hiring a good old-fashioned meatbag human being. John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for good old

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Good old.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/good%20old. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster