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Preposition after adjective

Old in, with, for, at or of?

Old combines with different prepositions depending on meaning. Some combinations are standard, while others are uncommon or belong to fixed expressions.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with old?

Old for is common when someone or something is unusually old for a category. Old at appears in age expressions such as old at heart. Old of is used in expressions like old of me. Old with can describe ageing caused by something. Old in is uncommon directly after old but may introduce a place or field.

She's very old for a gymnast.
He is still young at heart.
The sailor looked old with worry.
It was careless of me to forget.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
old for + category

Unusually old compared with others

Use old for when comparing age within a group or category.

That car is old for a rental vehicle.
He's quite old for a beginner.
2
old at + noun

Fixed expressions about attitude or stage

Old at appears in a few set expressions, especially at heart.

She is young at heart.
He became successful at an old age.
3
old with + cause

Affected by age or strain

Old with can describe someone looking aged because of an emotion or condition.

The farmer was old with exhaustion.
She looked old with grief.
4
old of + person

Typical or characteristic behaviour

Old of appears in expressions such as It was old of him, meaning typical or characteristic.

It was generous of her to help.
That was very old of him to complain again.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
old for
The child is tall and old for his grade.
older than expected in a category
old with
He looked old with fatigue.
appearing aged because of something
old at
She is young at heart.
used in fixed expressions about age or attitude
old in
He is respected in the industry.
In usually belongs to the following noun phrase, not directly to old

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using old in as a regular adjective pattern

Old in is not a common fixed pattern after old. In often starts a separate phrase.

✕ She is old in tennis. ✓ She is old for competitive tennis.

Confusing old of with old for

Old of is rare and idiomatic. Use old for for age comparison.

✕ He is old of his class. ✓ He is old for his class.

Using at after old for comparison

At is not normally used for age comparison.

✕ She's old at a dancer. ✓ She's old for a dancer.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He is unusually ___ his age group.
2. The woman looked ___ worry.
3. She may be eighty, but she is young ___ heart.

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Frequently asked questions

Is old in correct English?

It is not usually a fixed pattern after old. In often introduces a separate phrase, such as a field or place.

What does old for mean?

It means older than expected for a group, role, or activity.

Is old of common?

No. It appears mainly in idiomatic expressions such as That was old of him.

obedient-to-unto-in-by, of "objective in" or "objective about"? "obligatory for" or "obligatory on"? "oblivious to" or "oblivious of"? observable in, by, from, to or on? obsessed with, by, about, in or over? obsessive about, in, over, with or to? "obsolete in" or "obsolete by"? "obtainable in" or "obtainable from"? "obvious to", "obvious from" or "obvious in"? odd to, for, about, in or on? offensive to, in, against, on or about?

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