old 1 of 2

adjective

ˈōld How to pronounce old (audio)
Definition of oldnext
1
as in elderly
being of advanced years and especially past middle age every day the old fisherman set out in his small boat to brave the dangers of the sea

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
dating or surviving from the distant past an extremely old piece of jewelry was discovered in the Egyptian ruins

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3
as in former
having been such at some previous time I ran into my old fourth-grade teacher yesterday

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4
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest even the most stirring speeches start to get old after you've heard them a few times

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

old

2 of 2

noun

as in antiquity

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective old differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of old are ancient, antiquated, antique, archaic, obsolete, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses
an old sweater of mine

When can ancient be used instead of old?

While in some cases nearly identical to old, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

When might antiquated be a better fit than old?

In some situations, the words antiquated and old are roughly equivalent. However, antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

When would antique be a good substitute for old?

The meanings of antique and old largely overlap; however, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

When is archaic a more appropriate choice than old?

While the synonyms archaic and old are close in meaning, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

In what contexts can obsolete take the place of old?

The words obsolete and old are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

When is it sensible to use venerable instead of old?

The words venerable and old can be used in similar contexts, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of old
Adjective
The 22 and 21-year-olds are facing felony robbery charges, while the 23-year-old was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and a driving unlawfully, according to Sacramento County Sheriff Office jail logs. —Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2025 The 48-year old said his 25 years in the business have helped shape his strategy. —Michelle Fox, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
As the New River settlement grew in size, 18-year-old Ivy Julia Cromartie arrived from Lemon City to become the area’s first school teacher. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 The event is for those 21 and older. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for old
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old
  1. elderly
  2. ancient
  3. former
  4. boring
  5. antiquity
  6. senior
  7. venerable
  8. erstwhile
Adjective
  • One has multiple young children and an elderly dog who had already gotten into physical fights with Oli.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
  • On the eve of sentencing, Combs submitted a personal letter to the judge asking for leniency, referencing his seven children and elderly mother.
    — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Definition of elderly
Adjective
  • Proximity to several universities has filled the area with used book stores, cheap restaurants, and coffee shops that were ancient before anyone ever heard of Starbucks.
    — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Specifically, they have been designed to explore lava tubes or underground tunnels formed by ancient volcanic activity that may exist on the moon.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2025
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • The firm appointed former US General and CIA Director David Petraeus as Chairman of KKR Middle East in April and formed a dedicated regional investment team.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Chinese Premier Li Qiang and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will have front row seats at the event which, according to satellite imagery of apparent rehearsals, could include a large-scale mass gymnastics performance.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of former
Adjective
  • Lina had given up pretending to sleep; her parents were boring today.
    — Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Others have called out the boring marketing campaign based around flogging variants in order for Swift to finally beat the record for the biggest opening sales week for a female artist in history (currently held by Adele, which she is likely projected to break).
    — Bianca Davino, Refinery29, 7 Oct. 2025
Definition of boring
Noun
  • Athenians have been legume lovers since antiquity, and beans and pulses remain a fixture on meze menus the city over as a healthier, more affordable alternative to meat.
    — Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025
  • It was made of gold and strung with beads made of lapis lazuli, a blue stone prized in antiquity.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Definition of antiquity
Adjective
  • Rishi Sunak will serve as a senior adviser to both.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Stephanie Gioia-Beckman, a senior director at the Policy & Innovation Center, noted that all of these different job classifications require many hours of supervised work in addition to classroom instruction.
    — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of senior
Adjective
  • Make a beeline for the Pinacoteca di Brera, the venerable art museum containing paintings by masters like Raphael and Caravaggio.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Season 10 finds the venerable Captain Sandy Yawn navigating the shores of Spain with a handful of familiar faces by her side.
    — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Definition of venerable
Adjective
  • Worried that Dessalines’s enemies might eventually force upon him the same fate suffered by his erstwhile friend and ally, Christophe refused to be sworn into office.
    — Marlene L. Daut September 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Being able to generate code was finally getting a chance to shine in the bright lights of another erstwhile reason to use generative AI and LLMs.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of erstwhile

Phrases Containing old

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Cite this Entry

“Old.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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