autumn years
1
7.0
- noun
:
años dorados
Examples
-
We want to spend our autumn years smelling roses, not exhaust fumes from trucks and bulldozers.
Fiction book (1992) -
I guess at some point in my life, if it really looks bleak, you know, I'm in my autumn years and there's still no hockey in the State of Connecticut, I could probably see myself being an Islanders fan.
Academic text (2007) -
In fact, as far as new music goes, Page does next to nothing, and maybe he's a 68-year-old guy who would rather enjoy his autumn years relaxing and looking like Robert Evans than playing the riff to "Kashmir" in front of a bunch of dudes who can't let go of the past?
Blog text (23) -
In her autumn years, she found peace and joy in gardening and spending time with family.
-
Many people choose to travel during their autumn years to explore places they always dreamed of visiting.
-
He decided to volunteer at the local shelter in his autumn years, giving back to the community.
Synonyms
13
3.7
A time after you stop working for rest and enjoyment
Antonyms
- Specialized
26
2.0
Years from birth to about six years old when children grow and learn quickly
How Old
Surface Forms
Morphology
autumn + years
The phrase uses a conventional seasonal metaphor (autumn = the later stage of life), so combining 'autumn' with 'years' plausibly yields 'later years' and a B1 learner who knows both words can often infer the meaning. However, the life-stage metaphor is somewhat conventional and culturally grounded rather than strictly compositional, so the connection is not fully literal or universally immediate.
Etymology
Autumn years uses the image of autumn, the late season when leaves fall and things slow down. So, autumn years means the 'later period of a person's life', often after work or retirement.