old hat
old hat — idiom
1. something that people have seen, heard, or experienced so many times that it no
something that people have seen, heard, or experienced so many times that it no longer feels new, interesting, or exciting
The CGI explosions in that 2013 action film are old hat compared with newer movies.
predicate adjective: be + old hat
Hearing CEOs promise net-zero by 2050 without a clear plan is old hat at energy summits.
To most teenagers, the school's strict dress code is old hat and not worth debating.
Rodrigo said the guided tour felt old hat after his third visit to the museum.
The line 'follow your dreams' is old hat to anyone who heard a graduation speech.
The joke about lazy cats was old hat to Yael after the third office party.
Soraya thought the phrase 'think outside the box' was old hat in design studios.
In Chiara's grief-support group, 'it is not the end of the world' is old hat by week two.
- outdated
more formal; can describe objects, technology, or ideas
- behind the times
less common than 'old hat'; focuses on failing to keep up with modern trends
- passé
French loanword; used mainly in fashion and culture contexts, more sophisticated sounding
- stale
emphasises lack of freshness or originality; works for jokes, ideas, and news
- cutting-edge
describes something at the forefront of new developments
- fresh
emphasises novelty and originality
文法句型
be + old hat + (to + person)
用法筆記
Typically used as a predicate adjective after the verb 'be'. The subject is usually an event, trend, activity, piece of information, or repeated saying/joke — not a person. Common in spoken and informal written English. Also applies to clichés, slogans, and overused expressions that have lost their impact through repetition.
常見錯誤
2. no longer considered stylish, modern, or suitable for the present time because i
no longer considered stylish, modern, or suitable for the present time because it belongs to an earlier period
A management style built on long meetings and printed memos is old hat today.
pattern: be + old hat + in this [era]
Wearing a suit and tie to a casual tech startup these days is old hat.
Eve said her grandmother's recipes were tasty but the cooking methods were old hat.
Using a paper map instead of a phone app is old hat for most drivers.
- outdated
more neutral; can describe technology, clothes, or ideas without sounding dismissive
- antiquated
stronger and more formal; suggests something is not just old but out of touch with modern needs
- old-fashioned
direct synonym; can be positive or negative depending on context
文法句型
be + old hat
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 focuses on boredom from repetition ('boring because you have seen or heard it too often'); sense 2 focuses on being outdated or out of style regardless of repetition ('not fashionable anymore'). An old-fashioned hat from the 1960s may be 'old hat' (sense 2) even if you have never seen one before.