Age: English Vocabulary List

a young individual with little or no experience

"At seventy he is no spring chicken."

"The actress was no spring chicken but she still performed physically demanding stunts herself."

a young energetic person that brings new ideas, enthusiasm, and vitality to a group, organization, or activity

"The team needs some young blood."

"The team needs some young blood and should recruit fresh talent from the universities."

used when someone has learned or experienced something from a very young age

"She learned to sew at her mother's knee."

"She learned to bake bread at her mother's knee and now makes the most delicious loaves in the village."

used to refer to people who look older than the age they are at

"He is on the wrong side of forty."

"With his weathered face and tired eyes, he looked decidedly on the wrong side of fifty."

an advanced stage of life characterized by a long lifespan and great wisdom

"She lived to a ripe old age."

"My grandmother lived to the ripe old age of ninety seven and was healthy until her final years."

used to describe someone or something that is old and has existed for a long time

"That joke is as old as the hills."

"That joke is as old as the hills and everyone has heard it at least a hundred times before."

describing an individual who has lived for a very long time and is not able to do certain activities due to old age

"My horse is getting a bit long in the tooth."

"My horse is getting a bit long in the tooth so he cannot run as fast as before."

used to describe an old person who is still very active and healthy

"My grandfather is hale and hearty."

"My grandfather is nearly ninety years old but he is still hale and hearty."

a senior citizen that spends a lot of time using the Internet

"My grandma is a silver surfer."

"The retired librarian, a true silver surfer, spent hours researching genealogy online."

used to refer to a significant age difference between two people, especially those who are romantically involved with one another

"She is old enough to be my mother."

"Her new boyfriend is old enough to be her father and everyone in the family is quite worried about her."

considered old and no longer at one's best

"Some say he is over the hill."

"Some people think that anyone over fifty is over the hill but I completely disagree with that idea."

(of a person) very young or very small

"I was knee-high to a grasshopper."

"He remembered playing in the garden when he was knee-high to a grasshopper."

the time in a person's life marked by youthfulness, inexperience, and being carefree

"She remembers her salad days fondly."

"She remembers her salad days fondly when she was young and carefree without responsibilities."