ancient
gb/ˈeɪnʃənt/ us/ˈeɪnʃənt/
A2
English
~ 1900
ősi, ókori, ősöreg, ősrégi, zászlós, zászlótartó
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] is ancient
The ancient city was buried under layers of sand.
Az ősi várost homokrétegek temették maguk alá.
Ancient civilizations like Egypt and Mesopotamia shaped human history.
Az olyan ókori civilizációk, mint Egyiptom és Mezopotámia, formálták az emberiség történelmét.
These ancient trees have stood here for over a thousand years.
Learner examples
The ancient building is very beautiful.
Az ősi épület nagyon szép.
We learned about an ancient king in school.
Az iskolában egy ókori királyról tanultunk.
This ancient bridge is still strong.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'ancient' for things that are just old, like last year's phone. It should be used for things from a very long time ago.
Meaning
Very old; from long ago
Collocations
ancient civilization
|ancient ruins
|ancient history
|ancient temple
Synonyms
old (General term for not new; less extreme than 'ancient'.)
|
antique (Usually refers to old and valuable objects, not historical eras.)
Antonyms
modern (Refers to the present time or recent past, opposite of ancient in a temporal sense.)
Themes
history
|time
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
From a very long time ago in history.
Belonging to a time long past, especially thousands of years ago.
B1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is ancient
I feel ancient after that long hike.
A hosszú túra után ősöregnek érzem magam.
My grandfather jokes that he's ancient now.
A nagyapám azzal viccelődik, hogy most már ősöreg.
That computer is ancient compared to new models.
Learner examples
My bike is ancient but it still works.
A biciklim ősrégi, de még mindig működik.
He says he is ancient because he is 80.
Azt mondja, azért ősöreg, mert 80 éves.
This phone is ancient and slow.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the humorous exaggeration with the historical meaning; context decides which one is meant.
Meaning
Extremely old (person/thing)
Collocations
feel ancient
|look ancient
Synonyms
elderly (Polite term for an old person; less exaggerated than 'ancient'.)
|
aged (Formal or descriptive term for someone old.)
Antonyms
young (Opposite in terms of age.)
Themes
age
|humor
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very, very old, often said as a joke.
Extremely old, often used humorously or exaggeratively about people or things.
B1
3
ókori
B1
Usage pattern:
ancient [place/culture/art]
Ancient Rome was known for its engineering and architecture.
Az ókori Róma mérnöki tudásáról és építészetéről volt híres.
She studies ancient Greek literature.
Ókori görög irodalmat tanulmányoz.
They visited the ruins of an ancient temple.
Learner examples
We read about ancient Greece in class.
Az órán az ókori Görögországról olvastunk.
The museum has many ancient tools.
A múzeumban sok ókori eszköz van.
Ancient China made paper first.
Meaning
From earliest historical times
Collocations
ancient Greece
|ancient Rome
|ancient art
Synonyms
prehistoric (Refers to times before written history; may be older than 'ancient' in some contexts.)
Antonyms
modern-day (Refers to the present era, contrasting with earliest times.)
Themes
history
|archaeology
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
From the first times in human history.
Relating to the earliest known periods of human history or civilization.
NOUN
C1
ARCHAIC
4
zászlós
B2
zászlótartó
B2
The ancient led the troops into battle carrying the colors.
A zászlós a lobogót hordozva vezette a csapatokat a csatába.
In Shakespeare's plays, an 'ancient' often serves as a trusted soldier.
Shakespeare darabjaiban az „ancient” gyakran megbízható katonaként szolgáló zászlóst jelent.
The enemy targeted the ancient to lower morale.
Learner examples
The ancient held the flag in the war.
A zászlós tartotta a zászlót a háborúban.
The ancient was brave in battle.
A zászlós bátor volt a csatában.
In history, the ancient had an important job.
Meaning
Historical army flag carrier
Synonyms
standard-bearer (Modern equivalent; still used figuratively today.)
Themes
military
|history
|education
|politics
Definition
A person in old armies who carried the flag.
An officer who carried the flag or standard in a military unit (historical use).
Grammar
Dictionary form
ancient
IPA
GB/ˈeɪnʃənt/
US/ˈeɪnʃənt/
Syllables & stress
an - cient (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (an)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: ancient
Noun
- Base: ancient
- Plural: ancients
Word family
Forms
ancients
noun
Core family
antiquity
noun C1
Related words
antique
adjective B1
antiquated
adjective C1
Negative and opposite forms
modern
adjective A2
Advanced or less common
anciently
adverb
Expressions
ancient history
1/ˈeɪnʃənt hˈɪstɚi/
fixed phrase
Something from long ago, now unimportant
Something that happened a long time ago and is not important now.
Examples
- Their argument is ancient history now.
- That problem is ancient history; we’ve moved on.
since ancient times
1/sˈɪns ˈeɪnʃənt tˈaɪmz/
fixed phrase
From earliest history until now
From the first times in history until today.
Examples
- People have used herbs for medicine since ancient times.
- Gold has been valued since ancient times.