antediluvian
gb/ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən/ us/ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən/
C1
English
idejétmúlt, elavult, ősi, ősrégi, özönvíz előtti, őskövület
C1
FORMAL
1
idejétmúlt
B2
elavult
B2
Usage pattern:
antediluvian [idea/attitude/system/method/technology]
The company still uses an antediluvian approval process that takes weeks.
A cég még mindig egy idejétmúlt, heteket igénybe vevő jóváhagyási folyamatot használ.
Her comments about working mothers sounded antediluvian to the rest of the team.
A dolgozó anyákról tett megjegyzései a csapat többi tagjának idejétmúltnak hatottak.
The interface feels antediluvian compared with newer apps.
Learner examples
That rule is antediluvian.
Az a szabály idejétmúlt.
He has antediluvian ideas about school.
Idejétmúlt elképzelései vannak az iskoláról.
Common mistake:
Often confused with simply 'old'; it usually implies criticism (too old-fashioned).
Meaning
very old-fashioned; outdated
Collocations
antediluvian attitudes
|antediluvian ideas
|antediluvian views
|antediluvian methods
|antediluvian rules
|antediluvian system
|antediluvian technology
|antediluvian bureaucracy
|antediluvian customs
|antediluvian practices
Synonyms
outdated (Direct and common; less humorous than antediluvian.)
|
old-fashioned (Neutral or mild; antediluvian is stronger.)
|
antiquated (Formal like antediluvian, but less emphatic.)
Antonyms
modern (Current in style, ideas, or technology.)
|
up-to-date (Emphasizes being current and recently improved.)
|
progressive (Favors change and new ideas, the opposite of old-fashioned views.)
Themes
society
|technology
|opinions
Definition
Very old and not modern.
Extremely old-fashioned and no longer suitable or acceptable in modern life.
C2
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
antediluvian [landscape/forest/stone/ruins]
The cave paintings gave a glimpse into an antediluvian human world.
A barlangrajzok bepillantást engedtek egy ősi emberi világba.
They hiked through an antediluvian forest of towering pines.
Egy hatalmas fenyőkkel teli ősi erdőn át túráztak.
The novel opens with an antediluvian landscape shaped by ice and time.
Learner examples
The story describes an antediluvian world.
A történet egy ősi világot ír le.
Common mistake:
May be taken literally as 'before the Flood'; in many contexts it just means 'ancient.'
Meaning
very ancient; from long ago
Collocations
antediluvian past
|antediluvian landscape
|antediluvian forest
|antediluvian rocks
|antediluvian creatures
|antediluvian earth
|antediluvian world
|antediluvian darkness
Synonyms
ancient (More common and neutral; antediluvian is more vivid.)
|
age-old (Emphasizes long duration rather than extreme antiquity.)
|
primeval (Suggests earliest times and a natural/wild feel.)
Antonyms
recent (From the near past.)
|
new (Not old; newly made or introduced.)
Themes
history
|time
Definition
Extremely old; from very long ago.
Extremely old or ancient, as if from a very distant past.
C2
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
antediluvian [patriarch/period/world]
The text describes the long lives of antediluvian patriarchs.
A szöveg az özönvíz előtti pátriárkák hosszú életét írja le.
Some traditions place the city’s origins in antediluvian times.
Egyes hagyományok a város eredetét az özönvíz előtti időkre teszik.
The museum’s display contrasts antediluvian stories with later legends.
Learner examples
The book tells an antediluvian story.
A könyv egy özönvíz előtti történetet mesél el.
Common mistake:
In everyday speech it is usually figurative, not a literal reference to the Bible.
Meaning
before the biblical Flood
Collocations
antediluvian period
|antediluvian world
|antediluvian patriarchs
|antediluvian genealogy
|antediluvian history
Synonyms
pre-Flood (More explicit and straightforward; mainly used in religious or historical writing.)
Antonyms
postdiluvian (Relating to the time after the Flood.)
Themes
religion
|history
Definition
From the time before Noah’s flood (in the Bible).
Belonging to or occurring in the time before the Flood described in the Bible.
NOUN
C2
FORMAL
4
őskövület
B2
Usage pattern:
an antediluvian; the antediluvians
He calls himself an antediluvian, but he’s simply cautious about new technology.
Őskövületnek nevezi magát, pedig egyszerűen csak óvatos az új technológiákkal.
To the younger staff, the old filing system is an antediluvian that refuses to die.
A fiatalabb dolgozók szemében a régi irattárolási rendszer egy makacs őskövület, amely nem akar eltűnni.
They treated the retired professor like an antediluvian from another era.
Learner examples
My old phone is an antediluvian.
A régi telefonom egy őskövület.
Common mistake:
As a noun, it is much rarer than the adjective and can sound literary or joking.
Meaning
an old-fashioned person or thing
Collocations
a complete antediluvian
|a political antediluvian
|an antediluvian relic
|a technological antediluvian
Synonyms
relic (Common; can be neutral or affectionate, while antediluvian is usually critical or humorous.)
|
dinosaur (Informal and often teasing; similar idea without the formal tone.)
Antonyms
innovator (A person who introduces new ideas or methods.)
|
modernizer (Someone who updates or brings things up to date.)
Themes
society
|humor
Definition
Someone or something that seems very old-fashioned.
A person or thing considered extremely old-fashioned or out of date.
Grammar
Dictionary form
antediluvian
IPA
GB/ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən/
US/ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən/
Syllables & stress
antedi - lu - vi - an (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (antedi)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: antediluvian
Word family
Related words
deluge
noun
Expressions
an antediluvian relic
1/ən ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən ɹˈɛlɪk/
fixed phrase
formal
a very outdated thing
An object that is very old and not useful now.
Examples
- He still types on an antediluvian relic of a laptop.
- The office printer is an antediluvian relic that jams every day.
- They replaced the antediluvian relic of a website with a modern design.
Learner examples
- This computer is an antediluvian relic.
antediluvian attitudes
1/ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən ˈætətˌudz/
fixed phrase
formal
very old-fashioned beliefs
Very old-fashioned ideas about people or life.
Examples
- The article criticizes antediluvian attitudes toward mental health.
- She left the club because of its antediluvian attitudes about women.
- We can’t solve modern problems with antediluvian attitudes.
Learner examples
- He has antediluvian attitudes about work.
antediluvian methods
1/ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən mˈɛθədz/
fixed phrase
formal
very outdated ways of working
Very old ways of doing something.
Examples
- They’re still using antediluvian methods to track inventory on paper.
- The committee rejected antediluvian methods of assessment.
- We can’t compete globally with antediluvian methods.
Learner examples
- We should stop using antediluvian methods.
antediluvian technology
1/ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən tɛknˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
formal
very outdated tech
Very old technology that people don’t use now.
Examples
- The lab can’t run the new software on its antediluvian technology.
- Customers complained that the bank relied on antediluvian technology.
- Upgrading from antediluvian technology saved the team hours each week.
Learner examples
- Our office has antediluvian technology.
antediluvian times
1/ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən tˈaɪmz/
fixed phrase
literary
a very long time ago
A very, very long time ago.
Examples
- That café has been there since antediluvian times, or so my grandfather claims.
- The legend says the bridge has stood since antediluvian times.
- The recipe has been in the family since antediluvian times.
Learner examples
- This tradition goes back to antediluvian times.
the antediluvian world
1/ðə ˈæntˈɛdɪlˈuviən wˈɚld/
fixed phrase
literary
the world before the Flood
The world before Noah’s flood (in the Bible).
Examples
- The lecture examined how poets imagined the antediluvian world.
- In Genesis, the antediluvian world is portrayed as morally corrupt.
- The novelist sets the story in a misty, antediluvian world of myth.
Learner examples
- The story is set in the antediluvian world.