ripe old age
10
2.7
- noun
:
edad avanzada
- After a long and fulfilling life, he reached the ripe old age of 90.
- live to a ripe old age
So, you know, it's not they live to a ripe old age, but they don't really have a concept of age.
- So, you know, it's not they live to a ripe old age, but they don't really have a concept of age.
- When I hit the ripe old age of whatever the fuck age I want to do it at, I will be getting a lift.
Examples
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If you make it through, you live to a ripe old age.
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So if you want that girl to live to a ripe old age, you are gonna do exactly what I tell you to.
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And it is quite common for us to live to a very ripe old age.
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At the ripe old age of 26... he gets the call from Uncle Sam.
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My son lived to the ripe old age of 63.
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I was married and divorced by the ripe old age of 22.
Blog text (34) -
He died at a healthy, ripe old age.
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I should've told you it's quite common here to live to a very ripe old age.
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My grandmother lived to the ripe old age of 93.
Blog text (30) -
Solomon lived to a ripe old age, devoted to wisdom throughout his life.
Blog text (32)
Synonyms
665
1.0
The later time in life when a person is old
109
2.0
The later part of life after middle age when people often retire and may lose strength
Antonyms
How Old
10
2.7
109
2.0
10
2.2
61
3.1
164
1.0
687
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'ripe' (mature/fully developed) combined with 'old' and 'age' signals reaching an advanced, well-lived stage of life. Although 'ripe' is metaphorical (often used for fruit), this extension to describing advanced age is transparent and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Ripe old age may come from the picture of fruit that becomes ripe and ready to eat, and so a person who reaches old age is seen as fully grown and having lived a long, full life. So, ripe old age means 'a long, well-lived life'.