oldest
oldest — adjective
- oldestpositive
- more oldestcomparative
- most oldestsuperlative
1. ranking highest in age or duration among members of a group — for example, the p
ranking highest in age or duration among members of a group — for example, the person born earliest or the thing built furthest in the past
Marco is the oldest student in the class and will turn nineteen next week.
superlative: the oldest + noun — comparing within a group
The oldest tree in the park is a giant oak that has stood there for over three hundred years.
superlative: the oldest + noun — living thing
Among the three sisters, Layla is the oldest and helps take care of the younger two.
This wooden bridge is the oldest structure still standing in the village.
Rafael adopted a dog from the shelter that was the oldest animal there.
文法句型
the oldest + noun
the oldest of + noun phrase
be the oldest
常見錯誤
2. tells you the specific age or total time that the oldest person or thing in a gr
tells you the specific age or total time that the oldest person or thing in a group has lived or existed — for example, wondering how old the oldest child in a class is, or stating that the oldest book on a shelf is over two hundred years old
Allison asked the teacher how old the oldest child in the preschool class was.
superlative 'oldest' modifying 'child' — oldest within an age range
The librarian could not guess how old the oldest book on the shelf was.
Ayesha asked the vet how old the oldest cat in the clinic was.
Min found a stamp collection and checked how old the oldest stamp in it was.
Nellie told the nurse that her grandmother was the oldest person she knew at ninety-two.
- youngest
opposite end of the age range
文法句型
be + number + years old
how old + be + subject
subject + be + number
用法筆記
This sense is specifically about the superlative — picking out the single oldest member of a group. Compare: 'How old is the building?' (simple age question) vs 'Which is the oldest building on this street?' (superlative — asks for the extreme in a set).
常見錯誤
3. most suitable or intended for elderly people, often in a way that younger people
most suitable or intended for elderly people, often in a way that younger people would not enjoy or relate to
The senior centre runs the oldest activities in town, with chair yoga and bingo on weekday mornings.
superlative 'oldest' modifying 'activities' — explicitly linked to a senior centre
A travel agency near the retirement village sells tour packages for the oldest guests, with gentle walks and early check-ins.
superlative 'oldest' as noun — 'the oldest guests' meaning elderly travellers
The community hall hosts the oldest dance night in the district, where seniors gather for ballroom dancing every Friday.
That hotel promotes itself as relaxing for the oldest visitors, with armchairs, quiet reading rooms, and no loud music.
- elderly-oriented
more neutral and descriptive; less common in everyday speech
- old-fashioned
broader meaning — not specifically tied to suitability for old people
- youthful
suited to or typical of young people
文法句型
the oldest + activity/item
用法筆記
This sense is often used with a slightly negative tone, suggesting the activity or item feels outdated or unappealing to a younger person.
4. dating from the earliest known period of history; belonging to a time that is fu
dating from the earliest known period of history; belonging to a time that is furthest back in recorded or unrecorded time
The archaeologists uncovered what may be the oldest human settlement in the region.
superlative with archaeological context: oldest + settlement
This temple is one of the oldest places of worship still in use in the country.
Hana studied the oldest known written records from that civilisation for her research paper.
The museum displays the oldest coins ever found in this part of Asia.
Apinya visited a village that follows the oldest farming traditions in the area.
- oldest-known
specifically for the earliest recorded or discovered example
- most ancient
more formal; especially used for civilisations and artefacts
文法句型
the oldest + noun (era, civilisation, tradition, etc.)
用法筆記
This sense appears most often in historical, archaeological, or cultural contexts. It strongly implies something ancient or prehistoric, not merely old in a personal sense.
5. known or close for the greatest length of time, especially describing a friend o
known or close for the greatest length of time, especially describing a friend or companion whose relationship with you goes further back in years than anyone else's
Obi wrote a letter to his oldest friend, whom he had known since primary school.
superlative: 'oldest friend' — a close friendship spanning many years
Adina and her oldest colleague have worked together at the hospital for over twenty years.
Nellie still calls her oldest schoolmate every Sunday, even after moving to a different city.
Marco is the band leader's oldest friend — they met in middle school and have played music together for twenty-two years.
Min exchanged old photographs with his oldest childhood neighbour at the reunion.
- longest-standing
more formal; often used for business or organisational relationships
- closest
focuses on emotional closeness rather than duration
- newest
most recently met or acquired
- most recent
the one you have known for the shortest time
文法句型
the oldest + friend / acquaintance / colleague
用法筆記
This sense typically modifies a person (friend, colleague, neighbour) and always implies a continuing relationship, not merely past acquaintance.
常見錯誤
6. denoting the earliest recorded stage of a particular language, before major gram
denoting the earliest recorded stage of a particular language, before major grammatical shifts and sound changes produced the modern form — for example, the oldest surviving manuscripts in French, or the oldest known version of a text in Japanese
The oldest surviving manuscript in Old Norse was written around the twelfth century.
superlative: 'the oldest surviving manuscript in [language]' — linguistic context
Linguistics students compared the oldest surviving manuscripts of Middle English with modern texts to trace how pronunciation shifted.
The oldest written examples of Japanese date back to the eighth century.
Professor Okafor specialises in the oldest recorded dialects of the Bantu language group.
- earliest attested
more precise in linguistics; implies there is documentary evidence
- archaic
broader; describes language that is no longer in current use, not necessarily the earliest stage
文法句型
the oldest + form/stage/version of [language]
the oldest recorded/written/surviving [text/manuscript/document] in [language]
用法筆記
This sense appears most often in academic writing about language history. It refers to the earliest attested stage, not to a named period like 'Old English.' For example, 'the oldest form of French' is not the same as 'Old French' — the superlative simply means the earliest on record.
oldest — noun
1. people in the most advanced years of life, viewed as a collective within society
people in the most advanced years of life, viewed as a collective within society
The city offers free bus rides to the oldest residents during off-peak hours.
superlative 'the oldest' as a plural noun group
A community centre was built to serve the oldest members of the neighbourhood.
Social workers check on the oldest in the village every week during winter.
The government provides heating subsidies to the oldest households on the register.
- the elderly
more neutral and common in formal writing
- senior citizens
more respectful and formal; common in official contexts
- the youngest
the opposite end of the age spectrum
文法句型
the oldest (as a group noun)
用法筆記
Used with 'the' to refer to this group as a whole. Similar to 'the elderly' but emphasises the superlative extreme: those who are oldest among the old.