old as the hills
Meaning
A figurative way to say something or someone is extremely old.
Origin
A longstanding English simile using hills as symbols of great age; attested from at least the 16thβ17th century in pastoral and literary language.
Notes
Hyperbolic and colloquial; often humorous or critical. Common in speech and informal writing; sometimes avoided in formal contexts.
Examples
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That farmhouse is as old as the hills.
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My grandmother's recipe book is as old as the hills.
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We've been hearing that excuse as old as the hills.
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The castle looks as old as the hills, but it's well maintained.
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He drives a car that's as old as the hills.
Grammar & Usage Notes
A fixed simile using the 'as ... as' structure. Typically appears as 'as old as the hills' after a linking verb (is/are). Can be used attributively with hyphens (old-as-the-hills) colloquially.
Synonyms
- ancient
- age-old
- timeworn
- as old as time
- very old
Antonyms
- brand-new
- new
- recent
- modern
- young