antique
antique — noun
1. an old object, such as furniture, art, or silver, that people value for its age,
an old object, such as furniture, art, or silver, that people value for its age, beauty, rarity, or fine workmanship.
At the Sunday market, Leo bought an antique clock from 1890.
an antique + object
The family kept the vase as an antique instead of using it.
Museum staff checked whether the chair was a real antique.
After Grandma Mei died, cousins argued over one antique jade bowl.
- collectible
focuses on the fact that people collect it; it may be newer than an antique
- heirloom
stresses family history more than market value
- artifact
more common for historical or archaeological objects in study or museums
- reproduction
a later copy made to look like an older original
- modern piece
a recently made object rather than one from the past
文法句型
an antique
buy/sell/collect antiques
用法筆記
Usually names movable objects such as clocks, tables, mirrors, jewelry, or cars. In legal or customs use, the age requirement can be stricter than in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
2. a person or thing seen as very old, or as no longer suited to present-day ways.
a person or thing seen as very old, or as no longer suited to present-day ways.
Dad still uses a flip phone and calls his laptop an antique.
call something an antique
In the new office, paper files suddenly looked like antiques.
Grandpa jokes that he is an antique beside his teenage grandson.
After one hour online, Rita called the school printer an antique.
- trendsetter
someone who adopts or starts new styles
- latest model
a new and up-to-date thing
文法句型
be an antique
call someone/something an antique
用法筆記
Often humorous, but it can sound rude if said directly about a person. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to a valuable old object rather than a person or outdated thing.
常見錯誤
antique — adjective
1. describing an object from the past whose age, beauty, rarity, or skilled making
describing an object from the past whose age, beauty, rarity, or skilled making gives it special value.
The Chens saved for months to buy an antique dining table.
antique + furniture noun
An antique mirror hung above the fireplace in Mrs. Lin's house.
The guide wore gloves before touching the antique silver box.
Only the front room held antique furniture from her great-grandparents' house.
- vintage
often used for items from a past period, but it does not require the same age or value as antique
- period
used especially for furniture or clothing from a particular historical time
- collectible
stresses desirability to collectors more than age or workmanship
- modern
made in recent times or current in style
- reproduction
made later in the style of an older object
文法句型
antique + object noun
用法筆記
Almost always modifies object nouns, not people. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense adds the idea that the old object is prized, not merely old or behind the times.
常見錯誤
2. extremely old, or no longer in step with modern taste, ideas, or methods.
extremely old, or no longer in step with modern taste, ideas, or methods.
This classroom projector feels antique beside the new smart screen.
antique = old-fashioned
By today's rules, that dress code sounds almost antique.
sound antique
An antique water pump still stands behind the farm kitchen.
Many students laughed at the principal's antique ideas about hair length.
- old
the neutral everyday choice; antique sounds stronger or more marked
- dated
focuses on being no longer fashionable or suitable now
- old-fashioned
stresses style, ideas, or habits from an earlier time
- modern
belonging to present times or current style
- up-to-date
matching current knowledge, practice, or fashion
文法句型
seem/sound antique
antique + machine/idea/system
用法筆記
Can sound approving when it simply stresses age, but with ideas, systems, or rules it often suggests they are out of date. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about valued old objects.
常見錯誤
3. connected with buying, selling, showing, or working with antiques.
connected with buying, selling, showing, or working with antiques.
Her parents run an antique shop near Tainan Station.
antique + shop
The antique dealer wrapped the lamp in three layers of paper.
antique dealer
Every spring, the town hosts an antique fair by the river.
Several students found summer jobs in the antique trade.
- antiquarian
more formal and often linked to books, study, or specialist trade
- secondhand
broader; many secondhand goods are not antiques
文法句型
antique + shop/dealer/fair/trade
用法筆記
Usually appears before trade nouns such as shop, dealer, market, fair, or trade. It does not describe the age of one object by itself; use sense 1 or 2 for that.
antique — verb
1. to paint, finish, or alter something so it looks like an older piece.
to paint, finish, or alter something so it looks like an older piece.
Marco antiqued the pine table with dark wax and a rough cloth.
antique + furniture object
For the play, art students antiqued the frame before opening night.
The workshop antiqued cheap wood so the shelves looked handmade.
After lunch, Nina antiqued the mirror to match the old bedroom door.
文法句型
antique + object
用法筆記
Object is usually wood, metal, furniture, or a frame. Common in craft and home-decor writing, where the goal is appearance rather than repair.
常見錯誤
2. to spend time visiting shops, fairs, or markets in search of antiques.
to spend time visiting shops, fairs, or markets in search of antiques.
On Saturdays, Elena antiques at village markets with her aunt.
antique + at + place
Retired teachers sometimes antique together during bus trips in Europe.
Whenever rain stops, Ken antiques along the old port streets.
Many visitors antique for hours before buying even one small bowl.
文法句型
antique + at/in + place
用法筆記
Rare as a simple verb in modern English; many speakers more often say 'go antiquing'. This sense does not take the thing you buy as a direct object.