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old-hat

old-hat

1 6.8
No longer new or fashionable
  • adjective
  • /oʊld-hæt/
  • Informal
translation icon : pasado de moda
  • - That sort of joke's pretty old hat these days.

Sadly, that is like, that's so old hat.

Examples

  • Empire was old hat, influence was the new hotness.

  • Let's now talk about things that I think are also very old hat to you, having weight and distance.

  • Alright, once you've seen an eight month old microwaved to death, Everything else is just old hat.

  • So those of you have seen stacks already, this is, you know, I'm sure old hat for you, but I'm sure not everyone has seen stacks before.

  • Chemical rockets seem very old-hat to me (much of our technology, in fact, seems to be transitional stepping-stones that are almost ugly Paleolithic hammers compared to where we're going).

    Blog text (20)
  • Many people think that his jokes are old-hat since they have heard them before.

  • The concept of virtual reality is now considered old-hat in the tech industry.

  • Using CD-ROMs for data storage feels quite old-hat compared to cloud computing.

Synonyms

tired
vsold-hat
643 4.4

An idea or phrase used so often that it feels boring

adds that they also seem old or out of fashion
old-fashioned
vsold-hat
149 4.7

Not in style, like clothes or ideas from an earlier time

focuses more on being unoriginal and uninspiring today
obsolete
vsold-hat
93 5.8

No longer used or made because something newer replaces it

is more about losing novelty and seeming unoriginal
outdated
vsold-hat
78 5.0

No longer useful or fashionable because it is old

is more about being unoriginal or boring rather than just old
commonplace
vsold-hat
54 3.4

Ordinary and not special or new

focuses more on being unoriginal rather than merely old
out-of-date
vsold-hat
34 4.4

No longer current or in use

stresses being unoriginal and lacking fresh interest
archaic
vsold-hat
34 9.9

Very old and not used in everyday life

is about present lack of freshness rather than historical age
antiquated
vsold-hat
32 8.2

Very old and not useful or suitable now

keeps the age idea but adds lack of newness or flair
trite
vsold-hat
26 6.6

Not new or interesting because it is used too often

is similar but includes being unfashionable or outdated
banal
vsold-hat
21 7.2

Used so often that it feels boring

is closer to being unfashionable as well as unoriginal
out of fashion
vsold-hat
12 3.4

Not popular or stylish now

is similar but also implies it feels unoriginal or stale
dusty
vsold-hat
11 6.5

Old and not interesting because it has no new ideas

is similar but stresses being clearly unoriginal
outmoded
vsold-hat
11 6.5

No longer fashionable or useful

adds a stronger sense of being unoriginal and dull
passé
vsold-hat
9 8.8

No longer fashionable compared with modern styles

implies it also feels unoriginal or lacking novelty
antique
vsold-hat
9 7.5

Old-fashioned and not modern

adds that they also appear unoriginal or uninspiring
prehistoric
vsold-hat
  • Informal
8 5.8

Very old-fashioned and not modern

adds that such things also feel unoriginal and dull
hackneyed
vsold-hat
7 7.6

No longer original or interesting because people use it so often

adds that they also often seem out of date or dated
dated
vsold-hat
3 6.2

Not modern and looking old-fashioned

emphasizes being unoriginal or boring rather than merely aged
well-worn
vsold-hat
3 4.6

A phrase or idea used so often that it is no longer interesting

is broader, also covering things simply old or unfashionable
shopworn
vsold-hat
1 7.9

Not interesting because people use it too often

is similar but emphasizes being unfashionable or dated too
threadbare
vsold-hat
1 6.4

An idea or phrase used so often that it is no longer interesting

also highlights that it feels out of date or old
superannuated
vsold-hat
  • UK
1 9.9

Old and no longer useful because of age

adds a sense of being obsolete and lacking novelty
timeworn
vsold-hat
1 7.4

Used so often it feels like a boring idea

is similar but stresses being out of date as well
mossy
vsold-hat
1 8.2

Old-fashioned in ideas or ways of doing things

adds that they also feel unoriginal and stale
passe
vsold-hat
8.4

No longer fashionable or modern

adds the sense that it now seems unoriginal or stale
outworn
vsold-hat
7.1

Old and no longer useful or accepted today

adds that they also seem tired and uncreative
behind its time
vsold-hat
7.6

Out of date and not keeping up with current ideas

focuses more on seeming unoriginal and uninteresting
moss-grown
vsold-hat
  • Offensive
9.9

Old and out of date in ideas, opinions, or ways

also stresses that it lacks freshness or creative appeal
mildewy
vsold-hat
7.3

Old-fashioned and stale in style or ideas

adds that they also seem unoriginal or uninspired
stock
vsold-hat
3.3

Something that is common and not special

adds that such routine use makes them seem unoriginal
unmodern
vsold-hat
6.6

Having an older style that does not follow current fashion

adds that it also lacks originality and fresh appeal
demode
vsold-hat
  • Archaic
9.9

No longer in fashion and looking old

stresses being uninteresting or unoriginal rather than new

Antonyms

165 5.5

Having new ideas or methods to do things better

64 3.1

Very fashionable and popular now

How Outdated

obsolete
93 5.8
antiquated
32 8.2
outmoded
11 6.5
old-hat
  • Informal
1 6.8
dated
3 6.2
stale
32 3.1

Surface Forms

old-hat positive

Morphology

old-hat = old + hat (semi-transparent) = old + hat

Formed by the clear compound 'old' + 'hat', but the conventional idiomatic meaning 'outdated' is a metaphorical extension not fully predictable from the literal parts.

Etymology

Old-hat comes from the simple picture of an old worn hat that everyone has seen before and is not new. A helpful way to remember it is to think of that worn hat as 'no longer new or interesting', which is why old-hat means outdated or unoriginal.