young at heartadj.n.
/ˌjʌŋ ət ˈhɑːt/, U.S. /ˌjəŋ ət ˈhɑrt/ A. adj.
Esp. of middle-aged or elderly people: having qualities associated with young people, esp. energy, enthusiasm, or optimism. Also: suitable for such people.
Π
1714 A. Rennew Pious & Holy Breathings 140 Those who are young in Heart and Tongue shall seek me with Delight.]
1836 Albion 4 44/3 As young at heart, and as full of hopefulness..as they were twenty years ago.
1875 Peterson Mag. Mar. 214/1 ‘We are both old, Forbes—very old, you and I.’ ‘But your grace is young at heart.’
1939 Appleton (Wisconsin) Post-Crescent 2 Oct. 18/6 What a young-at-heart dress this is.
1977 E. W. Linderman & M. M. Linderman Crafts for Classroom vii. 172 A very popular craft with young-at-heart people today is to..appliqué all kinds of imaginative objects..on blue denim shirts.
2005 Daily Mirror (Nexis) 26 July 30 Ireland's oldest person showed she is still young at heart during her 110th birthday party yesterday.
B. n.
With plural agreement. With the: young at heart people as a class.
Π
1900 Fort Wayne (Indiana) Jrnl.-Gaz. 24 Dec. 7/5 ‘Christmas Fairies’ will make life pleasant for the little people and the young at heart at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
1939 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 3 Feb. 20 (advt.) Ageless hats for the young at heart.
1979 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 13 Aug. s12/1 For the young at heart who feel too long in the tooth for road hockey, there's an alternative.
2007 Daily Post (Liverpool) (Nexis) 13 Sept. (Mersey ed.) 7 Dance can bring significant benefits for the young at heart.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.n.1836