for the ages
2
7.2
- idiom
- Informal
:
para la historia
- This right here, this is one for the ages.
- team for the ages
- battle for the ages
- one for the ages
OK, that's a cookie for the ages.
- OK, that's a cookie for the ages.
- Reggie Bush delivered a performance for the ages.
- It's just a reveal for the ages that left not just me, but my entire team absolutely stunned and breathless.
Examples
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This is drama for the ages.
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It's a race for the ages.
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And that was a wedding for the ages for sure.
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A hero for the ages is coming home.
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Son... that is one for the ages.
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In fact, we may even have an upset for the ages.
Blog text (28) -
This is a conquest for the ages.
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Diana's wedding dress really is one for the ages.
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It was a performance for the ages.
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The concert was an unforgettable experience, truly a performance for the ages.
Synonyms
70
4.6
Stays beautiful or important even as years pass
19
4.7
Valued and kept because people have done it for a long time
Lasting for a very long time
How Memorable
58
3.4
- Informal
2
7.2
181
3.5
112
3.7
16
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'for' (indicating purpose/duration) and 'ages' (a very long time) readily yield a basic sense of 'for a very long time,' so a B1 learner who knows the words can grasp a general temporal meaning. However, the phrase carries an idiomatic evaluative nuance—being historically memorable or worthy of lasting celebration—that is a metaphorical extension beyond mere duration and not fully predictable from the parts alone, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
For the ages comes from the image of something kept for many 'ages', like a story or song people will tell long after it first happened. That's why it means 'memorable' or 'likely to be remembered for a long time'.