Meaning
Having the energy, enthusiasm, and playful outlook associated with youth even though one is middle-aged or older; also applied to products, activities, and styles that suit such an outlook. It praises liveliness of spirit rather than any literal age. Warm and approving; typically said of older adults or of pursuits aimed at them. Regional use: General English.
Origin
The OED documents young at heart, as both adjective and noun, from 1836, applying it especially to middle-aged or elderly people who keep youthful qualities. The phrase belongs to the large class of English expressions that locate character and temperament in the heart, here contrasting the body's age with the age of the feelings. Nothing in the standard references supports a more specific origin story: it appears to be an ordinary 19th-century coinage within a much older metaphorical tradition, and no earlier attestation is claimed here.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- young in spirit
- young-at-heart (hyphenated modifier)
Usage Examples
- At eighty, he stays young at heart, first on the dance floor and last to leave.
- The cruise line pitches its shore excursions to travelers who are young at heart.
- Being young at heart matters more to her than any number on a birthday cake.