old

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++old /əʊld $ oʊld/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative older, superlative oldest)  1  not new 不新的OLD/NOT NEW something that is old has existed or been used for a long time 旧的，陈旧的，年代久远的 OPP new a pair of old shoes 一双旧鞋 Some of the houses around here are very old. 这里有些房子年代已经很久远了。 one of our oldest traditions 我们最古老的传统之一 The car’s getting old now, and things are starting to go wrong with it. 这辆汽车现在越来越旧，已经开始出毛病了。 That story’s as old as the hills (=extremely old). 那个故事非常古老。2  not young 不年轻的OLD/NOT YOUNG a) someone who is old has lived for a very long time 年老的，年迈的 OPP young an old man 一位老人 a home for old people 养老院get/grow old I can’t run around like I used to – I must be getting old. 我不能像以前那样东奔西跑了——我一定是老了。 b) the old [plural] people who are old 老年人 the care of the old and sick 对老人和病人的照料3  age 年龄AGE used to talk about how long a person or thing has lived or existed (多少)岁five/ten/fifty etc years old I can’t believe you’re nearly forty years old! 我无法相信你都快40岁了！ a house that’s 300 years old 有300年历史的房子 How old are you? 你多大年纪？ Are you older than Sally? 你比萨莉大吗？ You’re old enough to get your own breakfast now. 你现在已经长大，可以自己弄早餐了。 I’m not coming skating. I’m too old for that now. 我不去玩溜冰，我现在太老玩不动了。five-year-old/ten-year-old etc somebody/something a six-week-old baby 六周大的婴儿 a 500-year-old sword 一把有500年历史的剑somebody is old enough to know better (=used to say that you think someone should behave more sensibly) 某人已长大，应该明白事理somebody is old enough to be his/her/your mother/father (=used to say that someone is too old to be having a sexual relationship with someone else) 某人的年纪够当他的/她的/你的母亲/父亲了〔用于表示某人年龄过大，不适合成为性伴侣〕4  BEFOREthat you used to have 以前拥有过的 [only before noun] your old house, job, girlfriend etc is one that you used to have 原先的，原来的，从前的 SYN former I met up with one of my old girlfriends at the weekend. 周末我和一位昔日的女友聚了聚。 My old car was always breaking down. 我以前的那辆车老是抛锚。 That happened when we were still in the old house. 那件事发生时我们还住在老房子里。 My old boss was awful! 我原来的老板太差劲了！old flame (=someone with whom you used to have a romantic relationship) 旧情人，老相好► see thesaurus at last5  familiar 熟悉的 [only before noun]USED TO/ACCUSTOMED TO old things are things that are familiar to you because you have seen them or experienced them many times before 老一套的，熟悉的 It’s good to get back into the old routine. 真好，生活又恢复了原样。 I enjoyed seeing all the old familiar faces. 我喜欢看到所有那些熟悉的老面孔。 He comes out with the same old excuses every time! 他每次都找那些老掉牙的借口！ → it’s the same old story at story(9)6  very well known 相识已久的 [only before noun]LONG TIME an old friend, enemy etc is someone you have known for a long time 相识很久的，旧交的 Bob’s an old friend of mine. 鲍勃是我的一位老朋友。 an old colleague 老同事 They’re old rivals. 他们是老对手了。7  the old days PASTtimes in the past 旧日的时光，以前in the old days In the old days people used to fetch water from the pump. 从前，人们用抽水泵打水。8  the good old days/the bad old days PASTan earlier time in your life, or in history, when things seemed better or worse than now 过去的好日子/坏日子 We like to chat about the good old days. 我们喜欢聊聊过去的好时光。9  be/feel/look like your old self BETTER/RECOVEREDto feel or look better again after you have been ill or very unhappy 感觉/看上去恢复了原来的样子 It’s good to see you looking more like your old self again. 很高兴看到你又和以前一样了。10  any old thing/place/time etc spokenUNIMPORTANT used to say that it does not matter which thing, place etc you choose 随便哪个东西/地方/时间等都行 Oh, just wear any old thing. 噢，就随便穿一件吧。 Phone any old time – I’m always here. 随便什么时候打电话来都行，我一直在这里。11  any old how/way spokenUNTIDYCARELESS in an untidy or careless way 凌乱地；随便地 The papers had been dumped on my desk any old how. 报纸乱七八糟地堆在我的书桌上。12  good/poor/silly old etc somebody spokenKNOW somebody used to talk about someone you like 可爱的/可怜的/傻乎乎的等某人〔说到自己喜欢的人时用〕 Good old Keith! 可爱的老基思！ You poor old thing! 你这可怜的家伙！13  a good old something  (also a right old something British English) spokenENJOY/LIKE DOING something used to talk about something you enjoy 用于谈论喜欢的事 We had a good old talk. 我们畅快地聊了一阵子。14  old devil/rascal etc spoken used to talk about someone you like and admire 淘气鬼，调皮鬼 You old devil! You were planning this all along! 你这个捣蛋鬼！你一直在计划这事啊！15  old fool/bastard/bat etc spoken not politeDON'T LIKE used to talk very rudely about someone you do not like 老糊涂/老混蛋/老太婆等〔用于粗鲁地谈论不喜欢之人〕the stupid old cow 这愚蠢的老泼妇16  the old guard OLD-FASHIONEDa group of people within an organization or club who do not like changes or new ideas 〔机构或俱乐部内的〕守旧派，保守派，保守分子 He’ll never manage to persuade the old guard. 他绝对劝服不了这群老顽固。17  be an old hand (at something) EXPERIENCEDto have a lot of experience of something (在某方面)是老手，经验老到 I’m an old hand at this game. 玩这种把戏我很在行。18. be old before your time OLD/NOT YOUNGto look or behave like someone much older than you, especially because of difficulties in your life 〔尤指因经历过磨难而〕显得成熟，显得老成19. for old times’ sake REMEMBERif you do something for old times’ sake, you do it to remind yourself of a happy time in the past 看在往日的情分上，念及老交情20. the old country especially American EnglishSANCOUNTRY/NATION the country that you were born in, but that you no longer live in, used especially to mean Europe 〔移民等的〕祖国，故国〔尤指欧洲国家〕21. an old head on young shoulders SENSIBLE British English a young person who seems to think and behave like an older person 少年老成22. pay/settle an old score PUNISHto punish someone for something wrong that they did to you in the past 报旧仇，了结宿怨23  of/from the old school OLD-FASHIONEDold-fashioned and believing in old ideas and customs 老派的，守旧的 a doctor of the old school 老派的医生24. old wives’ tale BELIEVEa belief based on old ideas that are now considered to be untrue 无稽之谈；愚蠢的信仰；迷信25  of old literary from a long time ago in the past 往日的，从前的 the knights of old 昔日的骑士26. Old English/Old Icelandic etc SLLan early form of English, Icelandic etc 古英语/古冰岛语等n GRAMMAR: Order of adjectivesIf there is more than one adjective, the adjectives are usually used in a fixed order.You say: There are some nice old houses. ✗Don’t say: There are some old nice houses.You say: She was dressed in old black clothes. ✗Don’t say: She was dressed in black old clothes.n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: used to talk about how long a person or thing has lived or existedphrasesbe 5/10/50 etc years oldMy dad is 45 years old.a five-year-old/fifteen-year-old etc somebody/somethinga three-year-old boyhow old is …?‘How old is your daughter?’ ‘She’s ten.’be too old for somethingHe was too old for military service.be old enough to do somethingYou’re old enough to help with the cooking.somebody is old enough to know better (=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway!somebody is old enough to be somebody’s mother/father (=used when you think that someone is much too old to be having a relationship with another person )Why would she want to go out with someone who was old enough to be her father? THESAURUSperson 人old having lived for a long time 旧的；年代久远的 年老的，老迈的an old man 一位老人I’m too old to learn a new language. 我年纪太大，没法学一门新的语言了。elderly a polite word for old 年老的，年迈的〔较old礼貌〕an elderly lady 一位年长女士a home for the elderly (=elderly people) 养老院nIf you are elderly, you may be eligible for financial assistance.aging (also ageing British English) [only before noun] becoming old 变老的an ageing rock star 年华逝去的摇滚歌星the problems of an ageing population 人口老龄化问题aged /ˈeɪdʒəd/ [only before noun] written aged relatives are very old 〔指亲人〕年迈的aged parents 年迈的父母She had to look after her aged aunt. 她得照顾年迈的姑母。elder brother/sister especially British English [only before noun] an older brother or sister. Elder sounds more formal than older 哥哥/姐姐〔elder听起来比older正式〕I have two elder brothers. 我有两个哥哥。ancient [not usually before noun] informal very old – used humorously 极老的〔幽默用法〕I’ll be 30 next year – it sounds really ancient! 明年我就30岁了——听上去好老哦！be getting on (in years) informal to be fairly old 上年纪了He’s 60 now, so he’s getting on a bit. 他现在60岁，有点上年纪了。be over the hill (also be past it British English) informal to be too old to do something 不再年轻Everyone thinks you’re past it when you get to 40. 人人都觉得一过40岁就不年轻了。geriatric [only before noun] relating to medical care and treatment for old people 老年医学的，老年病学的a geriatric hospital 老年医院geriatric patients 老年病人thing 物old 旧的；年代久远的an old car 一辆旧车an old Chinese saying 中国的一句老话ancient very old – used about things that existed thousands of years ago, or things that look very old 古代的；古老的，古旧的ancient civilisations 古文明an ancient Rolls Royce 一辆古旧的劳斯莱斯antique antique furniture, clocks, jewellery etc are old and often valuable 古董的an antique writing desk 一张古董书桌age-old used about traditions, problems, or situations that have existed for a very long time 〔传统、问题或情形〕古老的，存在已久的the age-old tradition of morris dancing 莫里斯舞蹈的悠久传统the age-old prejudice against women in positions of power 对担任要职的女性由来已久的偏见n the age-old problem of nationalismnage-old hatreds between religious groups

Examples from the Corpus

old• She wanted to have a baby before she was too old.• We also converted naptime into reading time once the children were older.• a six-week-old baby• For the first time in my life, I feel old.• Sue was wearing jeans and an old blue jacket.• It's one of the oldest buildings in San Francisco.• a beat-up old car• The two older children had no legal advice.• I was the youngest one in the family, so I had to wear my sisters' old clothes.• She shouldn't marry him - he's much too old for her.• This was when the need to live together came not from the older generation, but from the child's own family.• I saw Phil with one of my old girlfriends.• Sikes got out of jail in 1983, and was soon back to his old habits.• The Luna Baglioni is one of the oldest hotels in Venice.• How old is your cat?• Do you have any old magazines the kids can cut up?• An old man was in the park feeding the pigeons.• The Biblical story does more than turn the older myth on its head.• a lovely old oak tree• The new stadium is much bigger than the old one.• An older pair tending their spawn.• My parents are giving us their old sofa.• I have two brothers, both older than me.• Joan was nineteen years old when she died.• an old woman• His fewer statements lack that old zing.as old as the hills• Mortgage scams were as old as the hills.• Slim looked old to me, as old as the hills.too old for• There would have been nothing unusual about this except that she was almost three, much too old for a crib.• These boys are also too old for day camp and too young for jobs.• He'd thought her a little too old for his own purposes, but always assumed she was there for the taking.• Besides, she's too old for it at forty-five.• This was becoming Stress City and I was too old for it.• She was a bit too old for licking bowls, wasn't she?• Muhammad was too old for the draft.• But he worries that at 72, Dole might be too old for the job.old flame• In a box in the closet, I found love letters from one of his old flames.• A spot of work here and there, liberally interspersed with rendezvous with an old flame?• Hey, d' you hear about the fire-eater who couldn't go anywhere without meeting an old flame?• I met up with an old flame, and we sat and chatted for a while.• Mealticket Song Me and my old flame came wining-and-dining At this restaurant.• After 17 years of marriage, he left his wife for an old flame he ran into at a high school reunion.• It certainly relit an old flame of interest within me, and sent me off in two different directions at once.• Well he happens to be an old flame of Mummy's.• And his self-despite was so strong that he knew reviving an old flame or chasing some young actress would only aggravate it.the same old• Very comfortable, but the same old books on Manet, and of course, pictures of Olympia.• It's the same old questions when you walk in there.• All I have to wear are the same old rags I've had for years.• What have I got to say to a man whose idea of manhood is the same old sexist patriarchy?• Network TV has nothing but the same old shows.• For the most part, it's the same old song.• Some of the same old spectres are still present-such as the problem of prepared resources.• It was the same old story-profit over people.• You know... the same old thing.old friend• Lotte's one of my oldest friends.• By 11am 1,000 people were milling around Parliament Square, keeping off the grass, and greeting old friends.• He was dying and implored you to agree to the match because he and Horatia's father were such old friends.• She loved to meet new people and chat with old friends.• I saw a few old friends at the reunion.• They spoke to my old friend Henry Clerval, and he was very happy to travel with me.• One of my oldest friends in Boston is a woman whom, for now, I will call Ellen.• Today the manager of personnel makes a point of sitting next to his old friend on the daily commuter train.• By 1917, the two old friends were no longer on speaking terms.• But it wasn't just the hope of seeing old friends which had drawn me back.Origin old Old English eald

old adjective →10-19 →20-26
→n GRAMMAR1 →n COLLOCATIONS1 →THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChinese  

has or that Corpus is old something existed

old
old S1 W1 /əʊld $ oʊld/ adjective (comparative older, superlative oldest)1.  NOT NEW something that is old has existed or been used for a long time
   OPP  new:
    a pair of old shoes
    Some of the houses around here are very old.
    one of our oldest traditions
    The car’s getting old now, and things are starting to go wrong with it.
    That story’s as old as the hills (=extremely old).
2.
   NOT YOUNG
  a. someone who is old has lived for a very long time
   OPP  young:
    an old man
    a home for old people
    get/grow old
    I can’t run around like I used to – I must be getting old.
  b. the old [plural] people who are old:
    the care of the old and sick
3.  AGE used to talk about how long a person or thing has lived or existed
    five/ten/fifty etc years old
    I can’t believe you’re nearly forty years old!
    a house that’s 300 years old
    How old are you?
    Are you older than Sally?
    You’re old enough to get your own breakfast now.
    I’m not coming skating. I’m too old for that now.
    five-year-old/ten-year-old etc somebody/something
    a six-week-old baby
    a 500-year-old sword
    somebody is old enough to know better (=used to say that you think someone should behave more sensibly)
    somebody is old enough to be his/her/your mother/father (=used to say that someone is too old to be having a sexual relationship with someone else)
4.  THAT YOU USED TO HAVE  [only before noun] your old house, job, girlfriend etc is one that you used to have
   SYN  former:
    I met up with one of my old girlfriends at the weekend.
    My old car was always breaking down.
    That happened when we were still in the old house.
    My old boss was awful!
    old flame (=someone with whom you used to have a romantic relationship)
5.  FAMILIAR  [only before noun] old things are things that are familiar to you because you have seen them or experienced them many times before:
    It’s good to get back into the old routine.
    I enjoyed seeing all the old familiar faces.
    He comes out with the same old excuses every time! ⇨ it’s the same old story at story(9)
6.  VERY WELL KNOWN  [only before noun] an old friend, enemy etc is someone you have known for a long time:
    Bob’s an old friend of mine.
    an old colleague
    They’re old rivals.
7. the old days times in the past
    in the old days
    In the old days people used to fetch water from the pump.
8. the good old days/the bad old days an earlier time in your life, or in history, when things seemed better or worse than now:
    We like to chat about the good old days.
9. be/feel/look like your old self to feel or look better again after you have been ill or very unhappy:
    It’s good to see you looking more like your old self again.
10. any old thing/place/time etc spoken used to say that it does not matter which thing, place etc you choose:
    Oh, just wear any old thing.
    Phone any old time – I’m always here.
11. any old how/way spoken in an untidy or careless way:
    The papers had been dumped on my desk any old how.
12. good/poor/silly old etc somebody spoken used to talk about someone you like:
    Good old Keith!
    You poor old thing!
13. a good old something (also a right old something British English) spoken used to talk about something you enjoy:
    We had a good old talk.
14. old devil/rascal etc spoken used to talk about someone you like and admire:
    You old devil! You were planning this all along!
15. old fool/bastard/bat etc spoken not polite used to talk very rudely about someone you do not like:
    the stupid old cow
16. the old guard a group of people within an organization or club who do not like changes or new ideas:
    He’ll never manage to persuade the old guard.
17. be an old hand (at something) to have a lot of experience of something:
    I’m an old hand at this game.
18. be old before your time to look or behave like someone much older than you, especially because of difficulties in your life
19. for old times’ sake if you do something for old times’ sake, you do it to remind yourself of a happy time in the past
20. the old country especially American English the country that you were born in, but that you no longer live in, used especially to mean Europe
21. an old head on young shoulders British English a young person who seems to think and behave like an older person
22. pay/settle an old score to punish someone for something wrong that they did to you in the past
23. of/from the old school old-fashioned and believing in old ideas and customs:
    a doctor of the old school
24. old wives’ tale a belief based on old ideas that are now considered to be untrue
25. of old literary from a long time ago in the past:
    the knights of old
26. Old English/Old Icelandic etc an early form of English, Icelandic etc
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 3)

■ phrases
   ▪ be 5/10/50 etc years old My dad is 45 years old.
   ▪ a five-year-old/fifteen-year-old etc somebody/something a three-year-old boy
   ▪ how old is …? ‘How old is your daughter?’ ‘She’s ten.’
   ▪ be too old for something He was too old for military service.
   ▪ be old enough to do something You’re old enough to help with the cooking.
   ▪ somebody is old enough to know better (=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly) He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway!
   ▪ somebody is old enough to be sb’s mother/father (=used when you think that someone is much too old to be having a relationship with another person ) Why would she want to go out with someone who was old enough to be her father?
     

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
■ thing
   ▪ old: an old car | an old Chinese saying
   ▪ ancient very old – used about things that existed thousands of years ago, or things that look very old: ancient civilisations | an ancient Rolls Royce
   ▪ antique antique furniture, clocks, jewellery etc are old and often valuable: an antique writing desk
   ▪ age-old used about traditions, problems, or situations that have existed for a very long time: the age-old tradition of morris dancing | the age-old prejudice against women in positions of power | the age-old problem of nationalism | age-old hatreds between religious groups

🔑 oldBrE /əʊld/ 🔊NAmE /oʊld/ 🔊 adjective (old·er, old·est) ➤age 年龄🔑 be… years, months, etc. ~ of a particular age 具体年龄；（多少）岁；年纪◆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。🔊🔊◆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。🔊🔊➤not young 不年轻🔑 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。🔊🔊◆She was a woman grown old before her time (= who looked older than she was). 她显得未老先衰。🔊🔊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

OPP young the old noun [plural] old people 老年人◆The old feel the cold more than the young. 老年人比年轻人怕冷。🔊🔊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

care home, dementia, frail, geriatric, mobility, the old, pensioner, retire, sprightly, widow

➤not new 旧🔑 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。🔊🔊 OPP new

• 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。In BrE you can also use elder and eldest when comparing the ages of people, especially members of the same family, although these words are not common in speech now. As adjectives they are only used before a noun and you cannot say 'elder than'. 在英式英语中，比较人的年龄，尤其是家庭成员的年龄时亦可用 elder 和 eldest，不过这种说法在口语中已不常见；作形容词时它们只能用于名词前，而且不说 elder than：◆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。

🔑 [only before noun] former; belonging to past times or a past time in your life 过去的；从前的◆Things were different in the old days. 从前的情况可不一样。🔊🔊◆I went back to visit my old school. 我重访了母校。🔊🔊◆Old and Middle English古英语和中古英语🔑 [only before noun] used to refer to sth that has been replaced by sth 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。🔊🔊 OPP new 🔑 [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。🔊🔊  ➡  compare recent ➤good old/poor old 可爱；可怜 [only before noun] (informal) used to show affection or a lack of respect （表示亲昵或不敬）◆Good old Dad! 可爱的老爸！🔊🔊◆You poor old thing! 你这可怜的家伙！🔊🔊◆I hate her, the silly old cow! 我恨她，那个笨蛋老女人！🔊🔊●ˈany old how(informal) in a careless or untidy way 随便地；凌乱地◆The books were piled up all over the floor any old how. 地板上书堆得乱七八糟的，到处都是。🔊🔊●ˈany old…(informal) any item of the type mentioned (used when it is not important which particular item is chosen) 任何一个；随便哪个◆Any old room would have done. 随便哪间屋子都行。🔊🔊●as old as the ˈhillsvery old; ancient 古老的；悠久的

• 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。In BrE you can also use elder and eldest when comparing the ages of people, especially members of the same family, although these words are not common in speech now. As adjectives they are only used before a noun and you cannot say 'elder than'. 在英式英语中，比较人的年龄，尤其是家庭成员的年龄时亦可用 elder 和 eldest，不过这种说法在口语中已不常见；作形容词时它们只能用于名词前，而且不说 elder than：◆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。

●for ˈold times' sakeif you do sth for old times' sake, you do it because it is connected with sth good that happened to you in the past 看在旧日的情分上；念及老交情●the ˈgood/ˈbad old daysan earlier period of time in your life or in history that is seen as better/worse than the present 往昔的好／苦日子◆That was in the bad old days of rampant inflation. 那是在物价飞涨、生活艰难的往昔。🔊🔊●of ˈold(formal or literary) in or since past times 在往昔；从以前◆in days of old从前◆We know him of old (= we have known him for a long time). 我们认识他很久了。🔊🔊●old ˈboy, ˈchap, ˈman, etc.(old-fashioned, BrE, 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 sb's ˈfather/ˈmother(disapproving) very much older than sb (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 ˈbetterold 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 ˈshouldersused 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 (ˌsame) old ˈstorywhat usually happens 惯常的事情；（仍旧是）那么回事◆It's the same old story of a badly managed project with inadequate funding. 又是一桩资金短缺、经营不善的老故事。🔊🔊●an old ˈwives' tale(disapproving) an old idea or belief that has been proved not to be scientific 不经之谈；不科学的陈腐思想●one of the ˈold schoolan old-fashioned person who likes to do things as they were done in the past 守旧的人；保守派人物  ➡  see also old school ●a ˌchip off the old ˈblock(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●(there's) ˌno fool like an ˈold 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●a/the ˌgrand old ˈage (of…)a great age 高龄◆She finally learned to drive at the grand old age of 70. 她终于在 70 岁高龄学会了开车。🔊🔊●a/the ˌgrand old ˈman (of sth)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●give sb the (old) heave-ˈho(informal) to dismiss sb from their job; to end a relationship with sb 解雇某人；同某人断绝关系●have a ˈhigh old time(old-fashioned, informal) to enjoy yourself very much 玩得很开心●money for ˈjam/old ˈrope(BrE, informal) money that is earned very easily, for sth that needs little effort 容易赚的钱财●a/the ripe old age (of…)an age that is considered to be very old （…的）高龄◆He lived to the ripe old age of 91. 他活到了 91 岁的高龄。🔊🔊●settle a ˈscore/an acˈcount (with sb)●settle an old ˈscoreto hurt or punish sb who has harmed or cheated you in the past （和某人）算账，清算旧账；报复（某人）◆'Who would do such a thing?' 'Maybe someone with an old score to settle.' “谁做得出这样的事呢？” “也许是结有宿怨的人吧。”🔊🔊●(you can't) teach an old dog new ˈtricks(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 ˈboots●(as) tough as ˈnails(informal) very strong and able to deal successfully with difficult conditions or situations 很强壮；坚韧不拔；雷打不动not feeling or showing any emotion 铁石心肠；不为所动

• 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。In BrE you can also use elder and eldest when comparing the ages of people, especially members of the same family, although these words are not common in speech now. As adjectives they are only used before a noun and you cannot say 'elder than'. 在英式英语中，比较人的年龄，尤其是家庭成员的年龄时亦可用 elder 和 eldest，不过这种说法在口语中已不常见；作形容词时它们只能用于名词前，而且不说 elder than：◆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。

●be up to your (old) ˈtricks(informal, disapproving) to be behaving in the same bad way as before 故伎重演；耍老花招