young at heart
Playful though older
Young at heart describes someone who maintains youthful enthusiasm, playfulness, or optimism despite their age.
The phrase is almost always applied to older people: My grandmother is eighty but young at heart—she still goes dancing every weekend.
It suggests that aging doesn't have to mean becoming staid or losing one's sense of wonder.
Having much vigor
- vigorousHaving great physical energy
- spryLively despite years
- livelyAnimated and energetic
- sprightlyEnergetic and nimble
animated · dynamic · peppy · agile · nimble · brisk · active · vivacious
Playful, capricious quality
- frolicLighthearted playful movement
- mischievousPlayfully causing trouble
- impishPlayfully mischievous in manner
- lightheartedCheerful and without worry
jest · merriment · antics · prankish · gambol · frivolity · caprice · skylarking
Feeling positive expectation
- cheerfulPleasantly bright in mood
- positiveAffirming or certain
- upbeatCheerfully optimistic
- bright-eyedAlert and enthusiastic
idealistic · sanguine · resilient · enthusiastic · aspirational · undaunted · confident · inspired
Amusement with laughter
- gleeExuberant, often impish delight
- delightIntense pleasure or satisfaction
- cheerfulnessState of bright spirits
- jubilationIntense, expressive happiness
radiance · joviality · high spirits · bliss · elation · contentment · jollity · felicity
Arising without external cause
- curiousEager to learn
- daringAdventurous courage
- explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
- free-spiritedUninhibited by social expectations
bold · unconventional · risk-taker · thrill-seeker · wanderlust · intrepid · gutsy · trailblazer
energetic
Having much vigor
sprightly · animated · dynamic · peppy · agile · nimble · brisk · active · vivacious · robust
whimsy
Playful, capricious quality
- frolicLighthearted playful movement
- mischievousPlayfully causing trouble
- impishPlayfully mischievous in manner
lighthearted · jest · merriment · antics · prankish · gambol · frivolity · caprice · skylarking · sportive
hopeful
Feeling positive expectation
bright-eyed · idealistic · sanguine · resilient · enthusiastic · aspirational · undaunted · confident · inspired · blithe
mirth
Amusement with laughter
- gleeExuberant, often impish delight
- delightIntense pleasure or satisfaction
- cheerfulnessState of bright spirits
jubilation · radiance · joviality · high spirits · bliss · elation · contentment · jollity · felicity · laughter
spontaneous
Arising without external cause
free-spirited · bold · unconventional · risk-taker · thrill-seeker · wanderlust · intrepid · gutsy · trailblazer · audacious
- youth sayingssalad days, spring chicken, tender age, wet behind the ears, green behind the ears
- aging humorretirement jokes, senior moments, senior moment, over the hill, old timer
- agingaging process, aging body, biological age, aging workforce, aging parents
- age slanggeezer, codger, coot, old fart, old timer
- maturityadulthood, immature, come of age, ripe, unripe
young at heartjaded
Dulled by overindulgence
world-weary · cynical · weary · embittered · disillusioned
young at heartset in one's ways
Fixed in habits
joyless · curmudgeonly · old soul · stuck in a rut · stodgy
young, younger, youngest, youngster, youngsters, youth, youthful, youthfully, youthfulness