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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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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old

2 of 2

noun

as in antiquity

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an old woman
an elderly woman
an octogenarian woman
a senior woman
a grandmotherly woman
an elder woman
an old house
an outdated house
an obsolete house
a previous house
a former house
an earlier house
old days
ancient days
archaic days
long-past days
in-those days
simpler days
an old town
a historic town
a classic town
a historical town
an ancient town
an old friend
a longtime friend
a past friend
a familiar friend
a longstanding friend
a previous friend

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
Two 19-year-olds and one 16-year-old were killed, according to a Facebook post from Las Cruces Police. —Zoe Sottile, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025 The 60-year-old called into The View for her segment, which ran for under 30 minutes. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
As an older writer, Babitz possessed a new clarity about the meaning of all those youthful nights, and the stories in Black Swans—about former bohemians inching toward the staid life, and romantics bumping up against the limits of love—are told with tenderness that is unusual in her other work. —The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025 Pitmaster Roy Perez ceremoniously dragged a metal tub of hot coals up Commerce Street to transfer the fire from the old pits to the new ones. —Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 23 July 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
  • States and food pantries cannot cover food for needy elderly, children and the disabled without federal support.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2025
  • Angel Contreras went to the San Diego Humane Society’s Gaines Street shelter on Sunday to pick up his elderly poodle after spotting her on the shelter’s website.
    — Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025
Definition of elderly
Adjective
  • To Win Or Not To Win Is Not The Only Question Once AI was a philosophical question – one that religious and spiritual thinkers from ancient cultures asked to better understand the laws of nature.
    — Pia Lauritzen, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • In the early to mid–first millennium BCE, ancient horse-riding peoples known as the Siberian Scythians lived in the Altai-Sayan Mountains—a region that spans parts of modern-day Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and China.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 24 July 2025
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • Among the attendees were Madison Beer and former Disney Channel star Kyle Massey.
    — Bailey Richards, People.com, 27 July 2025
  • The trailer now shows Ashur, a former slave, struggling to be accepted by high society.
    — Nick Romano, EW.com, 27 July 2025
Definition of former
Adjective
  • Hunter: The Reckoning puts players in the role of regular people who know monsters are real and can’t go back to their old, boring lives.
    — Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Take away the road courses or boring ovals and race more street courses.
    — Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
Definition of boring
Noun
  • All three were seized by the district attorney’s antiquities trafficking unit earlier this year.
    — Graham Bowley, New York Times, 20 May 2025
  • Meanwhile, the local government lacks the resources to step in; the antiquities authority itself has no financial allocations or operational budget in a country devastated by over a decade of war.
    — Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2025
Definition of antiquity
Adjective
  • The idea is to place officers in certain neighborhoods and inside senior buildings.
    — Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 27 July 2025
  • This approach can be highly lucrative for senior shareholders within a group practice.
    — Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
Definition of senior
Adjective
  • Mehcad Brooks is departing NBC’s Law & Order after three seasons as Detective Jalen Shaw ahead of the venerable crime drama’s upcoming 25th season, Deadline has learned.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 18 July 2025
  • The other, the Union Station Gallery in the venerable train station’s Grand Hall, will operate July 13-26.
    — Dan Kelly July 11, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
Definition of venerable
Adjective
  • Plain football bias by voting fans and the erstwhile Worldwide Leader in Sports.
    — Greg Cote July 20, Miami Herald, 20 July 2025
  • The gateway to the French Riviera, the city has long been dismissed as a way station to smaller resort towns, the erstwhile stomping grounds of Matisse, Chagall, Baldwin, and Fitzgerald.
    — Sloane Crosley, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025
Definition of erstwhile

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Cite this Entry

“Old.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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