age
/eɪdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈedʒ] /eɪdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈedʒ] /ˈāj/ (ame, mw)
age — verb
- agepresent simple I / you / we / they
- ages3rd person singular
- aging-ing form
- agedpast simple
1. to become older as time passes, or to make someone or something look or seem mor
to become older as time passes, or to make someone or something look or seem more mature or worn through the effect of time.
Imran's grandmother has aged a lot since she broke her hip last winter.
intransitive: person + age + [amount]
The leather jacket was aged on purpose to give it a worn, old look.
passive: be aged + [purpose/result]
Stress can age a person faster than the passing years.
As people age, their skin becomes thinner and more easily damaged.
Beatrix's father aged well, keeping his energy and good humour into his eighties.
- rejuvenate
means to make someone feel or look younger, the opposite effect
文法句型
age + (adverb)
age + person/thing (transitive)
be aged (passive)
用法筆記
Commonly paired with adverbs such as well, badly, gracefully, or rapidly to describe the quality or speed of the change. In American English the present participle is spelled aging; in British English it is ageing.
常見錯誤
2. to leave something such as wine, cheese, or wood in suitable conditions so that
to leave something such as wine, cheese, or wood in suitable conditions so that its flavour, texture, or quality improves over time.
This winery ages its red wine in oak barrels for at least three years.
transitive pattern: [producer] ages [product] in [container]
The cheese was aged in a cool cave for six months before being sold.
passive: be aged in [place] for [time]
Some types of vinegar age better in wooden containers than in steel tanks.
The local cheese-makers age their cheddar for up to two years to give it a strong taste.
The carpenter let the oak planks age naturally before using them to make furniture.
文法句型
age [product] in [container/place]
age for [time period]
be aged (passive)
用法筆記
Typically describes a deliberate, controlled process for improving wine, cheese, spirits, tobacco, or wood. The transitive form often states the container (in barrels, in a cave) or the duration (for two years, for six months).
age — noun
- agesingular
- agesplural
1. The measure of how old a person or thing is, based on how many years have passed
The measure of how old a person or thing is, based on how many years have passed since their birth or its creation.
Astrid started playing the violin at the age of six.
You can tell the age of a tree by counting its rings.
countable: the age of [object]
The building's age was estimated at over two hundred years.
Children usually start school around the age of five in most countries.
文法句型
at the age of [number]
under/over the age of [number]
用法筆記
Frequently used with possessive determiners (his age, their age) and in the pattern "at the age of + number".
常見錯誤
2. A phrase used to tell someone, especially a child or teenager, that their behavi
A phrase used to tell someone, especially a child or teenager, that their behaviour is too childish and they should behave more maturely for their age.
Stop throwing food and act your age, Arjun.
imperative: act your age
The teacher told the teenagers to act their age after they started giggling during the exam.
You are fifteen years old — it is time to act your age and take responsibility.
His grandmother told him to act his age instead of sulking like a child.
文法句型
act your age
act + possessive + age
用法筆記
Almost always used as an imperative or reported command. The possessive matches the subject: act your age, act his age, act their age.
常見錯誤
3. The minimum age set by law at which a person can legally give permission for sex
The minimum age set by law at which a person can legally give permission for sex.
The age of consent in Japan was raised from thirteen to sixteen.
Different countries have different ages of consent, usually between fourteen and eighteen.
plural: ages of consent
Activists in several states are campaigning to change the age of consent laws.
Travelers should check the age of consent before visiting a foreign country.
- legal age
broader term that covers any age-based legal right, such as drinking or voting
文法句型
the age of consent
age of consent laws
用法筆記
Nearly always used as a fixed phrase 'age of consent'. Not used for other types of consent such as medical or contractual consent.
常見錯誤
4. A named stretch of time in the past, present, or in someone's life, defined by s
A named stretch of time in the past, present, or in someone's life, defined by specific features, events, or technologies.
We are living in the digital age, where information travels instantly around the world.
pattern: the [adjective] age
The Stone Age ended when humans learned to work with metal.
Tariq often heard his grandmother speak of the age before smartphones.
Many people look back on their college years as a special age in their lives.
文法句型
the [adjective] age
the age of [noun]
用法筆記
Often preceded by a modifying adjective (golden age, modern age, digital age) or used in the pattern 'the age of + noun' (the age of exploration, the age of steam).
5. A very long period, used in everyday speech to emphasize that something has last
A very long period, used in everyday speech to emphasize that something has lasted or taken much longer than expected.
I have not seen Lien in ages — not since we graduated from high school.
collocation: in ages / for ages
The package took ages to arrive, even though it was sent by express mail.
It has been an age since we last visited my aunt in Kyoto.
The queue for tickets stretched around the block and took ages to move.
- a long time
neutral register, less dramatic than 'ages'
- forever
informal and hyperbolic; 'this is taking forever'
- a moment
a very short period of time
文法句型
for ages
ages ago
an age
用法筆記
In this sense 'age' is almost always plural ('ages') or used with the indefinite article ('an age'). Rarely used in formal writing. Do not use with exact time measurements ('five ages').
常見錯誤
6. The condition of being old, or the unavoidable process of getting older, which o
The condition of being old, or the unavoidable process of getting older, which often brings changes to how a person or thing looks or works.
Regular exercise can help slow the effects of age on the body.
uncountable: the effects of age
Daniel's skin showed clear signs of age around his eyes and mouth.
collocation: signs of age
The museum's wooden floorboards had cracked and warped with age.
Nadia's face looked youthful, but her hands revealed her true age.
Many people worry about age and try various treatments to look younger.
- youth
the state of being young
文法句型
with age
signs of age
the effects of age
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — do not say 'an age' or 'ages' when referring to the process of getting older (that would revert to sense 5).
常見錯誤
7. the age set by law at which a person is officially considered old enough to take
the age set by law at which a person is officially considered old enough to take on adult rights and responsibilities, such as voting, signing contracts, or getting married without parental permission
Andrei came of age when he turned eighteen and signed up to vote the next day.
come of age — reach the legal age of adulthood
The club would not let Ziad in because he was still under age for the event.
under age — not yet old enough by law
Nellie asked the store clerk what the legal age was for buying lottery tickets.
When Ari came of age, his uncle helped him open his first bank account.
Tanvi found out that the legal age to drive a car in Spain is eighteen.
- adulthood
a neutral term for the state of being an adult, without the legal-specific focus
- legal majority
formal legal term for the age at which someone gains full adult rights; more technical than 'age'
- age of consent
narrower — only covers the legal age for sexual activity, not the full set of adult rights
文法句型
come of age
under age (predicative)
legal age for + noun / to + verb
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the fixed phrases 'come of age' (reach legal adulthood), 'under age' (below the legal threshold), and 'over age' (above it). Unlike sense 1 (YEARS LIVED), this sense refers to a legal threshold rather than the actual number of years a person has been alive.
常見錯誤
age — noun suffix
1. used to form a noun that refers to the total amount, collection, or combined qua
used to form a noun that refers to the total amount, collection, or combined quantity of something, such as the total length of railway tracks in a system (trackage) or the amount of film recorded on a reel (footage).
The railway company paid a fee based on the trackage it used on the southern line.
trackage = total length of railway track used
The documentary team reviewed over a hundred hours of footage before editing the final cut.
footage = total amount of film recorded
Grape growers reported a record tonnage of wine this autumn.
Inventory systems now track the total yardage of fabric stored in the warehouse.
The mill processed a large footage of timber each day during the busy season.
用法筆記
The base noun typically refers to something measurable (length, weight, volume). The derived -age noun is usually uncountable in this sense.
常見錯誤
2. used to form a noun that refers to the action, process, or business of doing som
used to form a noun that refers to the action, process, or business of doing something — for example, the haulage of raw materials by truck, the storage of household items in a rented unit, or the scope of protection provided by an insurance policy (coverage).
The factory hired a private firm to handle the haulage of steel beams to the construction site.
haulage = the business/process of transporting goods
Cold storage is essential for keeping dairy products fresh before they reach the shops.
storage = the process of keeping things in a place
Henrik started a small cartage company that delivers furniture within the city.
The port authority charges a fee for the warehousing of imported electronics.
Rohan runs a local courier service that offers same-day parcel delivery across the district.
Aarav checked the coverage of his travel insurance before the trip to Japan.
用法筆記
Frequently used in commercial and logistics contexts. Unlike sense 3, this sense emphasizes the ongoing activity or service rather than its finished result. 'Coverage' is a common example that refers to the scope of protection rather than a logistics activity.
常見錯誤
3. used to form a noun that refers to the total of damaged, broken, or lost items r
used to form a noun that refers to the total of damaged, broken, or lost items resulting from an action or event — for example, breakage refers to the amount of glass or pottery that got broken during transport, or to the cost of replacing those broken items.
The moving company charged extra to cover any breakage that might occur during the trip.
breakage = items broken as a result of an action
Ayesha checked every plate for cracks and noted the breakage in the inventory log.
The shop's insurance policy covers all breakage of display items caused by customers.
After the storm, the farm reported a significant spoilage of fruit in the orchard.
Leakage from the old pipe damaged the ceiling of the apartment below.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 focuses on the accumulated outcome (what was spoiled, broken, or lost), while sense 2 focuses on the activity itself. Often found in insurance, shipping, and quality-control contexts.
常見錯誤
4. used to form a noun that refers to a charge, fee, or allowance calculated on a p
used to form a noun that refers to a charge, fee, or allowance calculated on a per-unit basis, such as the amount paid per mile (mileage) or the carrying capacity measured in tons (tonnage).
The company reimburses employees for mileage when they use their own cars for work.
mileage = allowance paid per mile travelled
The cable company charges by the meterage of fibre optic cable installed in each neighbourhood.
meterage = charge per metre of cable installed
Taxis in the city charge according to the meterage of the route travelled.
The county charges an irrigation fee based on the acreage of each property, at $40 per acre.
Vikram checked the odometer reading to report the correct mileage for his monthly travel claim.
用法筆記
Common in transport, shipping, and reimbursement contexts. The base unit (mile, metre, ton, acre) determines the measurement; adding -age turns it into a rate or charge based on that unit.
5. used to form a noun that refers to a building, house, or institution where a par
used to form a noun that refers to a building, house, or institution where a particular group of people live, receive care, or carry out their work — for example, an orphanage is a home for children whose parents have died, a parsonage is the house provided for a church minister, and a hermitage is a remote dwelling where a hermit lives alone.
The old orphanage on Maple Street was turned into a community centre last year.
orphanage = home for children without parents
Lisa volunteered at the local orphanage every Saturday to read stories to the children.
The church built a new parsonage next door for the incoming minister and her family.
Christopher's great-grandfather once lived in the parsonage behind the old stone church.
The hermitage stood deep in the forest, far from any town or road.
A new vicarage was built next to St. Mary's Church to house the incoming vicar.
The village still has a traditional rectory that serves as the home for the local priest.
用法筆記
The base noun typically identifies a group of people (orphan, parson, vicar, hermit) or their role. The -age noun names the building associated with that group. Many such words are falling out of everyday use as institutions change.
常見錯誤
6. used to form a noun that refers to a social position, rank, condition, or relati
used to form a noun that refers to a social position, rank, condition, or relationship that a person or group holds — for example, peerage is the rank of a British noble, bondage is the condition of being controlled by another, and patronage is the support given by a wealthy or influential person.
Anna was granted a seat in the House of Lords after being elevated to the peerage.
peerage = the rank of a British noble
The novel tells the story of a village that lived in bondage under a cruel landowner for decades.
bondage = the condition of being controlled by another
Darius received a scholarship based on his family's patronage of the arts for many years.
In feudal times, a person's parentage determined the opportunities available to them.
João studied the history of the English peerage for his university dissertation.
The museum exhibition included documents about the baronetage of the 18th century.
Yara researched how the viscountage was passed down through generations of the same family.
用法筆記
This sense is formal and often historical. 'Bondage' is the only common everyday word formed this way; most -age words in this sense (peerage, baronetage, viscountage) refer to aristocratic ranks in British history. 'Patronage' and 'parentage' are broader examples that describe a relationship or origin rather than an official rank.
常見錯誤
7. used to form nouns that refer to an amount of money paid for a specific service,
used to form nouns that refer to an amount of money paid for a specific service, especially one involving transporting, storing, or handling goods
Ada checked the postage before sending the package to her aunt in Berlin.
postage = fee for mailing
The removal company charged extra cartage for carrying the furniture up to the fourth floor.
cartage = fee for transporting goods by vehicle
When the engine died near the marina, Yuna paid towage to bring her boat back.
The port rules state that every ship must pay wharfage for using the loading dock.
Nila asked about brokerage fees before hiring a firm to sell her apartment.
文法句型
[noun] + -age
用法筆記
This suffix attaches to nouns (post, cart, wharf) to form a new noun meaning the fee charged for that service. Words ending in this sense of -age are common on invoices, shipping documents, and port authority rules.