make old bones

verb

To live to an old age.

“With his heart condition, he'll never make old bones.”

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Meanings

verbmake old bones (third-person singular simple present makes old bones, present participle making old bones, simple past and past participle made old bones)

present singular third person makes old bones · participle present making old bones · participle past made old bones · past made old bones

  1. informalTo live to an old age.

    With his heart condition, he'll never make old bones.

  2. informalTo last a long time; to last or store well.

    It is a nice fruity wine, but it doesn't make old bones.

Cite this entry
APA

make old bones. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20old%20bones

MLA

“make old bones.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20old%20bones. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “make old bones,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20old%20bones.

Source: make old bones on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.