We have collected seven words – among many – that you can use to describe old things. Here they are:
- Ancient. Meaning: dating from very long ago¹.
- Example:
- “These ancient ruins were once a glorious palace.”
- Example:
- 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.”
- Example:
- 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 It also means no longer current or applicable³.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.”
- Example:
- 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.”
- Example:
- 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 Something that is obsolete is no longer needed because a better thing now exists.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)
- Example:
- Superannuated. Meaning: too old to be useful².
- Example:
- “People no longer store food in that superannuated silo.”
- Example:
- Outdated. Meaning: no longer valid or fashionable². Outdated has the closest meaning with kadaluarsa in Bahasa Indonesia.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- “I suggest you contact the office, because the information on the website is outdated.”
- Example:
There you go, fellas. Old is a very general term so you can use those adjectives to describe an old thing more specifically.
Source:
- Collins English Dictionary
- WordNet 3.0
- American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
Compiled and written by @fafafin for @EnglishTips4U on Thursday, August 18, 2016
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^MQ
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