old-looking
|old-look-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈoʊldˌlʊkɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈəʊldˌlʊkɪŋ/
appearing old
Etymology
'old-looking' is a modern English compound formed from 'old' + 'looking'. 'old' originates from Old English 'eald', where 'eald' meant 'old, aged'; 'look' originates from Old English 'lōcian' (via Middle English 'loken'/'loken'), where 'lōcian' meant 'to use the eyes' or 'to appear.'
'old' changed from Old English 'eald' into Middle English forms like 'old' and eventually became the modern English word 'old'. 'look' evolved from Old English 'lōcian' to Middle English 'loken'/'looken' and then to modern 'look'. The compound 'old-looking' arose in Modern English by combining the adjective 'old' with the present participle 'looking' to describe appearance.
Initially, 'old' primarily meant 'having lived a long time' and 'look' meant 'to use the eyes'; over time 'look' developed the sense 'to appear', and the compound 'old-looking' came to mean 'appearing old' or 'seeming worn or dated.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having an appearance that seems old; looking aged.
She bought an old-looking dress at the market.
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Adjective 2
appearing worn-out, dated, or out of style rather than necessarily actually old.
They displayed several old-looking chairs that looked vintage but were recently made.
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Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/10 14:03