hoary
3
9.9
- adjective
- /ˈhɔːri/
- Literature
:
antiguo
- The charro is magnificently attired in an embroidered riding suit that bespeaks a hoary tradition of rural aristocracy.
- a hoary tradition
Examples
-
There is another side to this, of course, the whole hoary and honorable tradition of opposing blood sport.
Academic text (1990) -
There is no old opinion handed down among you by ancient tradition, nor any science which is hoary with age.
-
The theory spread as a popular reaction against popular religious concepts that had become hoary, not from proof.
Blog text (15) -
What would schools look like if we derived our goals and practices from modern thought and not merely hoary academic traditions?
Academic text (2005) -
Try to say something original, or at least deconstruct that hoary old argument you're offering.
Blog text (29) -
Sometimes she played soothing music or told hoary old jokes with peculiar twists at the end.
Fiction book (2000) -
Americans should also dispense with the hoary notion that a hugely profitable China market waits to be exploited.
Academic text (1991) -
The festival celebrated a hoary tradition that has been passed down for generations.
-
In the museum, we admired the hoary artifacts that reflected ancient cultures.
-
Many hoary myths tell stories of gods and heroes from long ago.
Synonyms
∞
3.4
Very old and from a long time ago
908
6.1
Relating to a very early stage in a language, period, or culture
118
5.2
Made long ago and valued for its age or beauty
38
4.2
Very old and present for a long time
29
7.5
Worthy of deep respect because of old age or good character
19
4.7
Valued and kept because people have done it for a long time
16
9.6
From a time long ago when life was different
2
7.2
Very old and from a long time ago
Having grey or white hair that shows old age
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
A tall annual plant with soft grey-green leaves and small white flowers often seen as a weed
- Specialized
A small European plant with grey green fuzzy leaves, many small white flowers, often a weed
- Specialized
A shrub from western North America with soft white leaves and yellow flowers that turn red-purple
- US
A large North American ground squirrel with silvery gray fur that lives in mountains
How Old
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Hoary comes from an old English word hār meaning 'grey' or 'white' and is related to the common word hair. Because white hair shows age, hoary came to mean 'very old' or 'ancient'.