long in the tooth
Past one's prime
Long in the tooth means old or past one's prime.
The phrase comes from horses, whose gums recede with age, making their teeth appear longer—a feature buyers checked to estimate age.
Now applied to people or things showing signs of age or obsolescence: The software is getting long in the tooth.
I'm a bit long in the tooth for nightclubs.
Advanced in age
gray-haired · graying · senior · octogenarian · nonagenarian · centenarian · venerable · patriarchal
Eroded by exposure
- frayedUnraveled at edges
- threadbareWorn until transparent
- tatteredRipped and worn out
- shabbyWorn and neglected
faded · battered · beat-up · worn-out · timeworn · dilapidated · dog-eared · decrepit
Flavored or battle-tested
- veteranExperienced former soldier
- battle-hardenedToughened by combat experience
- sageWisdom keeper or seasoning
- wiseShowing good judgment
knowledgeable · savvy · worldly · expert · skilled · practiced · time-tested · well-traveled
Old and outdated
- obsoleteNo longer in use
- datedOld-fashioned or courted
- old-fashionedBelonging to earlier times
- outmodedNo longer in fashion
passé · behind-the-times · yesterday's · anachronistic · superseded · out-of-date · unfashionable · dinosaur
elderly
Advanced in age
hoary · gray-haired · graying · senior · octogenarian · nonagenarian · centenarian · venerable · patriarchal · matriarchal
weathered
Eroded by exposure
- frayedUnraveled at edges
- threadbareWorn until transparent
- tatteredRipped and worn out
shabby · faded · battered · beat-up · worn-out · timeworn · dilapidated · dog-eared · decrepit · well-worn
seasoned
Flavored or battle-tested
- veteranExperienced former soldier
- battle-hardenedToughened by combat experience
- sageWisdom keeper or seasoning
wise · knowledgeable · savvy · worldly · expert · skilled · practiced · time-tested · well-traveled
antiquated
Old and outdated
- obsoleteNo longer in use
- datedOld-fashioned or courted
- old-fashionedBelonging to earlier times
outmoded · passé · behind-the-times · yesterday's · anachronistic · superseded · out-of-date · unfashionable · dinosaur · relic
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- agingaging process, aging body, biological age, aging workforce, aging parents
- horseshorse, mare, mares, stallion, stallions
- age descriptorsaged, elderly, old, young, youthful
- age termsyoung, old, older, younger, youngest
- appearance idiomsall dolled up, dolled up, done up, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines
long in the toothyoung
Not yet mature
youthful · juvenile · wet behind the ears · fresh-faced · green
long in the toothbrand new
Completely unused, just acquired
fresh · new · mint condition · fresh off the boat · hot off the press
long in the toothspry
Lively despite years
vigorous · energetic · vibrant · in the pink · hale and hearty
long, tooth, length, longer, lengthen, elongate, longest, elongated, lengths