elderly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++el·der·ly /ˈeldəli $ ˈeldərli/ ●●● S3 W2 adjective  1  OLD/NOT YOUNGused as a polite way of saying that someone is old or becoming old 年老的；渐老的〔委婉用法〕 a well-dressed elderly woman 穿着考究的老妇人► see thesaurus at old2  the elderly OLD/NOT YOUNGpeople who are old 老人，上了年纪的人 a retirement village for the elderly 供老人退休后居住的村子

Examples from the Corpus

elderly• Nor was he really all that elderly.• A few decades ago, the average cruise ship passenger was elderly, affluent, and retired. Not anymore.• Their legacy from the poor law was a stock of homes, for the elderly and disabled, that were ex-workhouses.• He's quite plump and I suppose quite elderly, but he has a wonderful mind.• The party members attending the session here were mostly middle-aged or elderly California residents.• An elderly couple is silently eating chicken and mashed potatoes at a table by the window.• An elderly Englishwoman was seated next to me on the plane.• The group interviewed 14 elderly homeowners who approached the nonprofit organization for help with loans.• A group of elderly ladies sat drinking coffee in the cafeteria.• The elderly people in my constituency worry about their financial predicament.• Some elderly residents cited concerns over crime levels.

el·der·ly adjectiveChineseSyllable  

of that Corpus as used polite saying way a

elderly
el‧der‧ly S3 W2 /ˈeldəli $ ˈeldərli/ adjective
1. used as a polite way of saying that someone is old or becoming old:
    a well-dressed elderly woman
2. the elderly people who are old:
    a retirement village for the elderly
     

THESAURUS

■ person
   ▪ old having lived for a long time: an old man | I’m too old to learn a new language.
   ▪ elderly a polite word for old: an elderly lady | a home for the elderly (=elderly people) | If you are elderly, you may be eligible for financial assistance.
   ▪ aging (also ageing British English) [only before noun] becoming old: an ageing rock star | the problems of an ageing population
   ▪ aged /ˈeɪdʒəd, ˈeɪdʒɪd/ [only before noun] written aged relatives are very old: aged parents | She had to look after her aged aunt.
   ▪ elder brother/sister especially British English [only before noun] an older brother or sister. Elder sounds more formal than older: I have two elder brothers.
   ▪ ancient [not usually before noun] informal very old – used humorously: I’ll be 30 next year – it sounds really ancient!
   ▪ be getting on (in years) informal to be fairly old: He’s 60 now, so he’s getting on a bit.
   ▪ be over the hill (also be past it British English) informal to be too old to do something: Everyone thinks you’re past it when you get to 40.
   ▪ geriatric [only before noun] relating to medical care and treatment for old people: a geriatric hospital | geriatric patients

🔑 eld·er·lyBrE /ˈeldəli/ 🔊NAmE /ˈeldərli/ 🔊 adjective🔑 (of people 人) used as a polite word for 'old' 年纪较大的，上了年纪的（婉辞，与 old 同义）◆an elderly couple一对老年夫妇◆elderly relatives年老的亲戚elderly ◇ aged ◇ long-lived ◇ mature

These words all describe sb/sth that has lived for a long time or that usually lives for a long time. 以上各词均形容人年纪大、长寿或事物古老、持久。

• old having lived for a long time; no longer young 指年老、年纪大：◆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 指寿命长的、长寿的、经久耐用的、持久的：◆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 sb is no longer young 礼貌或幽默的说法，指某人已成年或不再年轻：◆clothes for the mature woman 成年妇女的服装

Patterns

• a(n) old/elderly/aged/long-lived/mature man/woman
• a(n) old/elderly/aged/mature gentleman/lady/couple

the elderly noun [plural] people who are old 老人；上了年纪的人elderly ◇ aged ◇ long-lived ◇ mature

These words all describe sb/sth that has lived for a long time or that usually lives for a long time. 以上各词均形容人年纪大、长寿或事物古老、持久。

• old having lived for a long time; no longer young 指年老、年纪大：◆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 指寿命长的、长寿的、经久耐用的、持久的：◆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 sb is no longer young 礼貌或幽默的说法，指某人已成年或不再年轻：◆clothes for the mature woman 成年妇女的服装

Patterns

• a(n) old/elderly/aged/long-lived/mature man/woman
• a(n) old/elderly/aged/mature gentleman/lady/couple

adolescent, age, elderly, generation, infant, juvenile, middle-aged, minor, teenage, young