-
of a particular age 具体年龄；（多少）岁；年纪 - be… years, months, etc. old
The baby was only a few hours old. 婴儿才出生几个小时。 In those days most people left school when they were only fifteen years old. 那时候，大多数人上学只上到十五岁。 At thirty years old, he was already earning £40 000 a year. 他三十岁时已拿到 4 万英镑的年薪了。 two fourteen-year-old boys 两个十四岁的男孩 a class for five-year-olds (= children who are five) 为五岁儿童开的班 I didn't think she was old enough for the responsibility. 我认为她尚年轻，不足以担当此任。 He's not too old to play Romeo. 他还没老到不能演罗密欧。 How old is this building? 这座建筑已有多少年了？ He's the oldest player in the team. 他是队里年龄最大的队员。 She's much older than me. 她的年龄比我大得多。 My two older sisters and I shared a bedroom. 我和两个姐姐共用一间卧室。
Extra ExamplesHe's old enough by now to manage his own affairs. 现在他已不小了，能处理自己的事情了。 You are as old as you feel. 你感觉自己有多大岁数就有多大岁数。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- look
- …
- enough
- six months, ten years, etc. old
- be… years, months, etc. old
-
having lived for a long time; no longer young 老的；年纪大的；不年轻的 to get/grow old 上年纪 The old man lay propped up on cushions. 老人靠在垫子上躺着。 a little old lady 一位小老太太 She was a woman grown old before her time (= who looked older than she was). 她显得未老先衰。 He was beginning to look old. 他开始露出老态了。 Tom was the last surviving member of the older generation of the family. 汤姆是这个家庭老一辈中最后一个幸存的成员。
Synonyms oldoldopposite young- elderly
- aged
- long-lived
- mature
- old having lived for a long time; no longer young:
She’s getting old—she’s 75 next year. 她上年纪了，明年就 75 岁了。
- elderly (rather formal
) used as a polite word for ‘old’: old 的委婉语，指年纪较大的、上了年纪的： She is very busy caring for two elderly relatives. 她在忙着照顾两个年老的亲戚。
- aged (formal
) very old: 指年迈的、年老的： Having aged relatives to stay in your house can be quite stressful. 年迈的亲戚住在家里有时压力相当大。
- long-lived having a long life; lasting for a long time:
Everyone in my family is exceptionally long-lived. 我们家每个人都特别长寿。
- mature used as a polite or humorous way of saying that somebody is no longer young:
clothes for the mature woman 成年妇女的服装
- a(n) old/elderly/aged/long-lived/mature man/woman
- a(n) old/elderly/aged/mature gentleman/lady/couple
Extra ExamplesTopics Life stagesa1She was fairly old when she got married. 她结婚时年纪已相当大了。 The way the young people rushed about made her feel old. 年轻人风风火火的样子让她感觉自己老了。 She's getting old—she's 75 next year. 她上年纪了，明年就 75 岁了。 We're all getting older. 我们都在变老。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- look
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- the oldnoun [plural]
old people 老年人 More Like This Plural adjectival nounsPlural adjectival nouns -
having existed or been used for a long time 存在（或使用）时间长的；陈旧的；古老的 old habits 旧习惯 He always gives the same old excuses. 他总是重复那些老掉牙的借口。 This carpet's getting pretty old now. 这块地毯现在已经很旧了。 a beautiful old farmhouse 美丽的旧农舍
Which Word? older / elderolder / elder- The usual comparative and superlative forms of old are older and oldest:
old 的比较级和最高级通常为 older 和 oldest： My brother is older than me. 我哥哥比我大。 The palace is the oldest building in the city. 这宫殿是城里最古老的建筑。
my older/elder sister 我的姐姐 the elder/older of their two children 他们的两个孩子中大的一个 I’m the eldest/oldest in the family. 我是家中的老大。
Extra ExamplesIt's a very old tradition. 这是一个非常古老的传统。 It's one of the oldest remaining parts of the church. 这是教堂现存最古老的部分之一。 It's the world's oldest surviving ship. 这是世界现存最古老的船。 These are some of the oldest trees in the world. 这些是世界上一些最老的树。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- oldest known
- oldest remaining
- oldest surviving
- …
- [only before noun]
former; belonging to past times or a past time in your life 过去的；从前的 - [only before noun]
used to refer to something that has been replaced by something else （用于指称被替代的东西）原来的，原先的 We had more room in our old house. 我们原先的房子比较宽敞。 Mum and Dad bought us a fridge and gave us their old telly. 妈妈和爸爸给我们买了一台冰箱，并把他们的旧电视给了我们。
- [only before noun]
known for a long time 相识时间长的；结识久的 She's an old friend of mine (= I have known her for a long time). 她是我的一个老朋友。 We're old rivals. 我们是老对头。 It's always the same old faces. 总是那些老面孔。 The album includes both new titles and old favourites. 这张专辑既有新专辑，也有老专辑。
- [only before noun] (informal)
used to show kind feelings or a lack of respect （表示亲昵或不敬） Extra ExamplesIt's a funny old world. 这是个极其有趣的世界。 Why drink plain old water when you can have something better? 有好东西喝，为什么还喝白水？ They were having the same boring old conversation about school. 他们在谈论同样无聊的关于学校的老话题。 As my dear old Grandma used to say… 正如我亲爱的老奶奶常说的…
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryphrases- boring old
- silly old
- dear old
- …
age年龄
not young不年轻
not new旧
good old/poor old可爱；可怜
Word OriginOld English ald, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch oud and German alt, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘adult’, shared by Latin alere ‘nourish’.
Idioms
any old…
any old how
as old as the hills
very old; ancient 古老的；悠久的 More Like This Similes in idiomsSimiles in idioms- (as) bald as a coot
- (as) blind as a bat
- (as) bright as a button
- (as) bold as brass
- as busy as a bee
- as clean as a whistle
- (as) dead as a/the dodo
- (as) deaf as a post
- (as) dull as ditchwater
- (as) fit as a fiddle
- as flat as a pancake
- (as) good as gold
- (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare
- (as) miserable/ugly as sin
- as old as the hills
- (as) pleased/proud as Punch
- as pretty as a picture
- (as) regular as clockwork
- (as) quick as a flash
- (as) safe as houses
- (as) sound as a bell
- (as) steady as a rock
- (as) thick as two short planks
- (as) tough as old boots
be up to your (old) tricks
- (informal, disapproving)
to be behaving in the same bad way as before 故伎重演；耍老花招 He had soon spent all the money and was up to his old tricks. 他很快就花光了所有的钱，开始玩他的老把戏。
a chip off the old block
- (informal)
a person who is very similar to their mother or father in the way that they look or behave （相貌或性格）酷似父亲或母亲的人
for old times’ sake
if you do something for old times’ sake, you do it because it is connected with something good that happened to you in the past 看在旧日的情分上；念及老交情
give somebody the (old) heave-ho
- (informal)
to dismiss somebody from their job; to end a relationship with somebody 解雇某人；同某人断绝关系
the good/bad old days
a/the grand old age (of…)
a/the grand old man (of something)
a man who is respected in a particular profession that he has been involved in for a long time 元老；资深前辈；老前辈 James Lovelock, the grand old man of environmental science 詹姆斯 · 洛夫洛克，环境科学的元老
CultureGrand Old Man was a title originally used to refer to William Gladstone, who spent many years in British politics in 19th century and was prime minister four times.
have a high old time
- (old-fashioned, informal)
to enjoy yourself very much 玩得很开心
in old money
- (British English, informal)
used to give an amount, a measurement, etc. using older or more traditional units that may be more familiar to some people 铁石心肠；不为所动 The fish measured 29 centimetres (that's a foot in old money). 这条鱼有29厘米长(那是旧币的1英尺)。
money for jam/old rope
- (British English, informal)
money that is earned very easily, for something that needs little effort 容易赚的钱财 The job only took about an hour—it was money for old rope. 这项工作只花了大约一个小时——真是物超所值。
(there’s) no fool like an old fool
- (saying)
an older person who behaves in a stupid way is worse than a younger person who does the same thing, because experience should have taught him or her not to do it 糊涂莫过老糊涂；老糊涂最糊涂
of old
old boy, chap, man, etc.
- (old-fashioned, British English, informal)
used by older men of the middle and upper classes as a friendly way of addressing another man （中上阶层男子对其他男子的友好称呼）老兄，伙计，哥们儿
old enough to be somebody’s father/mother
- (disapproving)
very much older than somebody (especially used to suggest that a romantic or sexual relationship between the two people is not appropriate) 论年龄足以当某人的爹／娘（尤指双方在爱情或性关系方面不相配）
old enough to know better
old enough to behave in a more sensible way than you actually did 已长大，该懂事了
(have) an old head on young shoulders
used to describe a young person who acts in a more sensible way than you would expect for a person of their age 年轻老练；少年老成
the (same) old story
an old wives’ tale
- (disapproving)
an old idea or belief that people now know is not correct 不经之谈；不科学的陈腐思想
one of the old school
an old-fashioned person who likes to do things as they were done in the past 守旧的人；保守派人物
a/the ripe old age (of…)
settle a score/accounts (with somebody) | settle an old score
(you can’t) teach an old dog new tricks
- (saying)
(you cannot) successfully make people change their ideas, methods of work, etc., when they have had them for a long time 老大（不）可教；（无法）改变人们长时间形成的思想（或做事方法等）
(as) tough as old boots | (as) tough as nails (informal)
very strong and able to deal successfully with difficult conditions or situations 很强壮；坚韧不拔；雷打不动 She’s almost 90 but she’s still as tough as old boots. 她快90岁了，但仍然像旧靴子一样坚韧。