on in years
1
6.8
- idiom
- UK
:
mayor
- We may be getting on in years, but we're still strong.
- getting on in years
Examples
-
On the second floor, right below her, Vivian Lafleur from the Music Department is getting on in years and going a bit deaf, too.
Fiction book (2001) -
My grandmother, who is getting on in years, enjoys sharing stories from her youth.
-
A man likes a little security when he starts to get on in years.
Fiction book (2002) -
"Well, I know that sometimes happens when you get on in years."
Fiction book (2001) -
"She's getting on in years," George allowed.
Fiction book (2001) -
Like me, he was getting on in years, but he was right proud we'd thought enough of him to fetch him all the way from Dallas to perform the wedding.
Fiction book (2002) -
"As Henry's stomach squeezed, his uncle went on, "I'm embarrassed to ask, but I'm afraid I am getting on in years a bit, and I find I can't do much without his help these days."
Fiction book (2002) -
Even though she is getting on in years, she still loves to travel and explore new places.
-
As people get on in years, they often become more reflective about their life experiences.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A person who has lived for a long time
283
1.0
A person who is past middle age
202
1.2
Having a certain number of years, used before a number
65
5.1
Far on in age, usually meaning old
14
7.2
A polite way to talk about someone who is not young, often middle-aged
3
1.0
Having more years of life or more work experience than someone else
Antonyms
How Old
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'years' cues that the phrase relates to age/time, so a learner who knows the words might suspect it concerns being older, but the sequence 'on in' is not a compositional or literal combination that clearly yields 'advanced in age'. The construction is somewhat idiomatic and slightly archaic in English, so the precise meaning is not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
On in years may come from the picture of years being put on someone like layers of clothes over time, so as more years are 'on' you you move forward in age. That's why it means 'getting older'.