old hat

adjective

1

: old-fashioned

2

: lacking in freshness : trite

That joke is a bit old hat now.

Examples of old hat in a Sentence

I suppose my favorite joke's a bit old hat by now.

Making hit movies is old hat for him.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Langley having still more weeks atop the Hot 100 is old hat — or old Stetson — when there is some fresh blood in the top 10. — Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

The core elements—airy melodies, drug talk, copious ad-libs—are old hat, but frank tales of suburban ennui and romantic strife give the Minneapolis rapper’s latest album a refreshingly personal air. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

My driver was a Chevrolet employee trained to operate a motor sports vehicle, so this was probably old hat for him. — Keith Laing, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Now, in the summer of ’26, OpenClaw is becoming, not old hat exactly, but more commonly implemented. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for old hat

• begat
• bobcat
• chitchat
• doormat
• ducat
• eclat
• format
• hazmat
• muskrat
• nonfat
• polecat
• thereat