oldest
oldest — 形容詞
- oldestpositive
- more oldestcomparative
- most oldestsuperlative
1. ranking highest in age or duration among members of a group — for example, the p
最年長
在群體中年齡或存在時間最久的
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.
Marco 是班上最年長的學生，下週就滿十九歲了。
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.
公園裡最古老的樹是一棵巨大的橡樹，已經矗立在那裡超過三百年。
superlative: the oldest + noun — living thing
Among the three sisters, Layla is the oldest and helps take care of the younger two.
三姊妹當中，Layla 年紀最長，幫忙照顧兩個妹妹。
This wooden bridge is the oldest structure still standing in the village.
這座木橋是村裡仍在使用的最古老的建築。
Rafael adopted a dog from the shelter that was the oldest animal there.
Rafael 從收容所領養了一隻狗，那隻是那裡最年長的動物。
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
最高齡
詢問或說明群體中最老者的年齡
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.
Allison 問老師，幼兒班裡最年長的孩子是幾歲。
superlative 'oldest' modifying 'child' — oldest within an age range
The librarian could not guess how old the oldest book on the shelf was.
圖書館員猜不出架上年代最久的那本書有多少年了。
Ayesha asked the vet how old the oldest cat in the clinic was.
Ayesha 問獸醫診所裡最老的貓是幾歲。
Min found a stamp collection and checked how old the oldest stamp in it was.
Min 找到了一本郵票收藏，查了裡面年代最久的那張郵票有多少年歷史。
Nellie told the nurse that her grandmother was the oldest person she knew at ninety-two.
Nellie 告訴護士，她外婆九十二歲，是她認識的人當中最年長的。
- 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
高齡向
為老年人設計，年輕人不感興趣的
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.
老人活動中心舉辦鎮上最適合老人的活動，平日上午有椅子瑜伽和賓果遊戲。
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.
退休社區附近的一家旅行社販售給最年長旅客的套裝行程，有平緩散步和早入住。
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.
社區活動廳每週五舉辦最適合老人的舞會，長者們聚在一起跳交誼舞。
That hotel promotes itself as relaxing for the oldest visitors, with armchairs, quiet reading rooms, and no loud music.
那家旅館以適合最年長旅客放鬆為賣點，有扶手椅、安靜的閱讀室，沒有吵鬧的音樂。
- 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
最古老
屬於歷史最早的時期
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.
考古學家發現了可能是該地區最古老的人類聚落。
superlative with archaeological context: oldest + settlement
This temple is one of the oldest places of worship still in use in the country.
這座寺廟是國內仍在使用中最古老的禮拜場所之一。
Hana studied the oldest known written records from that civilisation for her research paper.
Hana 為了她的研究論文，研讀了該文明現存最古老的文字記錄。
The museum displays the oldest coins ever found in this part of Asia.
博物館展示著在亞洲這一帶發現過最古老的錢幣。
Apinya visited a village that follows the oldest farming traditions in the area.
Apinya 造訪了一個仍遵循當地最古老耕作傳統的村莊。
- 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
最久
友誼或關係持續最長時間的
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.
Obi 寫了一封信給他認識最久的朋友，他們從小學就認識了。
superlative: 'oldest friend' — a close friendship spanning many years
Adina and her oldest colleague have worked together at the hospital for over twenty years.
Adina 和她共事最久的同事已經在醫院一起工作超過二十年。
Nellie still calls her oldest schoolmate every Sunday, even after moving to a different city.
Nellie 每個星期天仍然打電話給她認識最久的同學，即使已經搬到了不同的城市。
Marco is the band leader's oldest friend — they met in middle school and have played music together for twenty-two years.
Marco 是樂團領隊認識最久的朋友——他們國中就認識了，一起玩音樂已經二十二年。
Min exchanged old photographs with his oldest childhood neighbour at the reunion.
Min 在同學會上和認識最久的兒時鄰居交換了舊照片。
- 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
語言最早期
語言有記錄的最早階段
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.
古諾斯語現存最古老的手稿大約寫於十二世紀。
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.
語言學系的學生比較中古英語現存最古老的手稿與現代文本，追蹤發音的變化。
The oldest written examples of Japanese date back to the eighth century.
日語現存最早的文字記載可追溯至八世紀。
Professor Okafor specialises in the oldest recorded dialects of the Bantu language group.
Okafor 教授專門研究班圖語系中現存記錄最早的方言。
- 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 — 名詞
1. people in the most advanced years of life, viewed as a collective within society
年長者
年長者作為一個群體
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.
該市在最年長居民離峰時段提供免費公車服務。
superlative 'the oldest' as a plural noun group
A community centre was built to serve the oldest members of the neighbourhood.
社區中心是為了服務社區中最年長的居民而設立的。
Social workers check on the oldest in the village every week during winter.
社工人員每週冬天都會去探望村裡最年長的居民。
The government provides heating subsidies to the oldest households on the register.
政府為登記在冊的最年長家庭提供暖氣補助。
- 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.