We have collected seven words – among many – that you can use to describe old things. Here they are:

1. Ancient. Meaning: dating from very long ago¹.
   • Example:
     • “These ancient ruins were once a glorious palace.”
2. Antique. Meaning: made in typical of earlier time and valued for its age². Antique is commonly used to describe a piece of porcelain ware or furniture which is valued for its beauty and rarity.
   • Example:
     • “That antique mirror is probably worth over ten thousand dollars.”
3. Archaic. Meaning: extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period². It also means no longer current or applicable³.
   • Example:
     • “The archaic notion that a woman’s place is in the home now begins to disappear.”
4. Venerable. Meaning: impressive by reason of age². You can also use venerable to describe a person who deserves respect because he is old and wise.
   • Example:
     • “He gave a visit to the venerable temple of Borobudur last summer.”
     • “A venerable wizard with white hair, long beard, and pointy hat climbs up the stage.”
5. Obsolete. Meaning: no longer in use³. Something that is obsolete is no longer needed because a better thing now exists.
   • Example:
     • “In 1998, an estimated 20 million computers became obsolete every year.” (Forbes)
6. Superannuated. Meaning: too old to be useful².
   • Example:
     • “People no longer store food in that superannuated silo.”
7. Outdated. Meaning: no longer valid or fashionable². Outdated has the closest meaning with kadaluarsa in Bahasa Indonesia.
   • Example:
     • “I suggest you contact the office, because the information on the website is outdated.”

There you go, fellas. Old is a very general term so you can use those adjectives to describe an old thing more specifically.

Source:

1. Collins English Dictionary
2. WordNet 3.0
3. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language

Compiled and written by @fafafin for @EnglishTips4U on Thursday, August 18, 2016

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^MQ