Young-at-heart
adj.joyful, energeticwarm
What it means
Retaining curiosity, playfulness, or openness commonly associated with youth at any age.
Reach for it when praising an outlook while respecting adult maturity and age
Her young-at-heart grandfather learns a new dance each year.
Choose between these
7- playful
playfully minded
when an informal description avoids an age comparison
not when The phrase is narrower and less idiomatic.
- everyday
when visible animation is the simple praise
not when Lively can make energy a condition of positive aging.
- everyday
when willingness to joke, imagine, or play is central
not when Playfulness is one trait and does not capture curiosity or openness more broadly.
- warm
when lively courage or energy stands out
not when Spirited can be combative or intense rather than young-at-heart.
- warm
when fresh energy or outlook is the broad quality
not when Youthful can describe appearance and may reinforce age stereotypes.
- professional
when desire to learn is the actual evidence
not when Curiosity occurs at every age and need not be framed as youthful.
- literary
ever-young
when poetic praise of enduring freshness fits
not when Ever-young can deny visible aging and sounds unrealistic.
Said against
3- jaded
- world-weary
- spiritless
It naturally appears in
3- remain young-at-heart
She remained young-at-heart without pretending the decades had taught her nothing.
- young-at-heart spirit
His young-at-heart spirit appeared in curiosity, not constant activity.
- forever young-at-heart
Forever young-at-heart, Lidia kept making room for beginners.
Where this comes from
Young-at-heart can imply that play, curiosity, and joy belong naturally to young people. Praise the specific quality when age is irrelevant.
- Wiktionary, English adjective sense: having a youthful outlook despite age opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.