golden years

noun

Old age; especially, the leisure years in later life after one has retired from employment.

Meanings

noungolden years pl (plural only)
  1. euphemisticidiomaticpluralplural onlyOld age; especially, the leisure years in later life after one has retired from employment.

    A huge wave of baby boomers may need long-term care in their golden years.

    2011 February 8, Janet Morrissey, “Preparing for Long-Term Care: Any Good Options?”, in Time, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2013
    2 more examples

    To make the most of your golden years, study the points enumerated above and then resolve to do just the opposite.

    1958 October 16, Robert Peterson, “Growing Old Disgracefully”, in St. Petersburg Independent, US, page 9

    If, by the time you are 50, you haven't started planning for retirement, the golden years won't be golden.

    1986 December 18, “Planning key to financially secure retirement”, in Edmonton Journal, Canada, page C1

    Synonyms: twilight years, sunset years, age, chair days, codgerhood, eld, elderliness, fogeydom

  2. idiomaticpluralplural onlyThe period during which someone or something flourishes.

    I'll stick with you baby for a thousand years / Nothing's gonna touch you in these golden years

    1975, David Bowie, “Golden Years”, in Station to Station
    4 more examples

    The later time of life, when white hairs show that reflection must take the place of action, may well be called golden years.

    1903 September 26, The Rural New Yorker, volume LXII, number 2800

    Almost before Carlyle realized his good fortune he was on Broadway, with offers of engagements on all sides, and more money than he had ever dreamed of. It was when he realized that he was spending the golden years of his life gibbering round a stage with a lot of black men.

    1920 May 27, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, “The Offshore Pirate”, in Flappers and Philosophers, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published September 1920, →OCLC, part III, page 19

    Certainly no champion in history was as all-conquering, as invulnerable, as was Mrs. Moody during her golden years.

    1938 August 25, Henry McLemore, “Today's Sport Parade”, in Reading Eagle, US, page 22

    Seven foot Wilt Chamberlain one day will rule professional basketball with greater authority than George Mikan in his golden years, the Stilt's coach predicted yesterday.

    1959 October 16, “Basketball: Wilt Giving Warriors Illusions of Grandeur”, in Daytona Beach Morning Journal, US, page 9

    Synonyms: prime, golden age, golden era, golden time, heyday

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe period during which someone or something flourishes.

Translations

Bulgarian зла́тни годи́ни, зла́тни годи́ни
  • зла́тни годи́ни (zlátni godíni)old age
  • зла́тни годи́ни (zlátni godíni)period of flourishment
Chinese Mandarin 夕陽紅 /夕阳红
  • 夕陽紅 /夕阳红 (xīyánghóng)old age
Estonian kuldsed aastad
  • kuldsed aastadperiod of flourishment
French âge d'or, années d'or
  • âge d'orperiod of flourishment
  • années d'orperiod of flourishment
Hebrew גִּיל הַזָּהָב
  • גִּיל הַזָּהָב (gil hazaháv)old age
Italian terza età, età senile
  • terza etàold age
  • età senileold age
  • viale del tramontoold age
  • età d'oroperiod of flourishment
  • periodo d'oroperiod of flourishment
  • apiceperiod of flourishment
  • culmineperiod of flourishment
  • anni d'oroperiod of flourishment
Japanese 老後
  • 老後 (rōgo)old age
Polish złote czasy, złote czasy
  • złote czasyold age
  • złote czasyperiod of flourishment
Portuguese auge, ápice
  • augeperiod of flourishment
  • ápiceperiod of flourishment
  • anos douradosperiod of flourishment
Spanish cumbre, años dorados
  • cumbreperiod of flourishment
  • años doradosperiod of flourishment
Ukrainian золоті роки
  • золоті роки (zoloti roky)period of flourishment
Cite this entry
APA

golden years. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/golden%20years

MLA

“golden years.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/golden%20years. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “golden years,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/golden%20years.

Source: golden years on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.