of a certain age
Past one's prime
Of a certain age is a polite or euphemistic way of saying middle-aged or older, typically applied to women.
The phrase avoids naming a specific number while acknowledging someone is no longer young: She was a woman of a certain age, elegant but no longer turning heads.
The vagueness is the point—it gestures toward age without committing to it.
- gray-hairedHaving silver locks
- seasonedFlavored or battle-tested
- wrinkledHaving surface folds
- silverLustrous white precious metal
- senior citizenAged person, typically retired
gray hairs · mature · no spring chicken · distinguished · retirement age · AARP member · venerable · dignified · old soul · golden years · experienced · wise · age gracefully · elder statesman · euphemism · cane · reading glasses · nostalgic
of a certain ageyoung
Not yet mature
youthful · fresh-faced · juvenile · adolescent · teenage
of a certain ageold
Existing many years
elderly · middle-aged · senior · over the hill · geriatric
certain, certainty, certainly, uncertain, uncertainty, ascertain, aging, ageing, ageism