Thing of the past Meaning in English
expression
THING-uhv-thuh-PAST
THING-ov-thuh-PAHST
Definition
Something that no longer exists, is no longer used, or is not common anymore.
Usage & Nuances
Informal expression, often used to stress that something is outdated or irrelevant today. Common after changes in technology, culture, or habits. Usually found in the structure 'X is a thing of the past.' Not used for very recent changes unless the shift is significant.
Spanish: cosa del pasadoPortuguese (BR): coisa do passadoPortuguese (PT): coisa do passadoChinese (Simplified): 过去的事 - 已成历史Chinese (Traditional): 過去的事 - 已成歷史Hindi: बीती बात - पिछली चीज़Arabic: شيء من الماضيBengali: অতীতের বিষয় - অতীতের ব্যাপারRussian: пережиток прошлого - вещь прошлогоJapanese: 過去のもの - 昔のものVietnamese: chuyện của quá khứ - điều xưa cũKorean: 과거의 일 - 옛날 일Turkish: geçmişte kalmış bir şey - artık olmayan şeyUrdu: ماضی کی بات - گزرا ہوا وقتIndonesian: sesuatu dari masa lalu - hal yang sudah ketinggalan zaman
Example Sentences
Writing letters by hand is a thing of the past.
basic
Black-and-white TV is a thing of the past.
basic
Typewriters are a thing of the past in most offices.
basic
Pay phones are basically a thing of the past now.
natural
People say privacy is a thing of the past with all this new technology.
natural
For many, wearing a watch is a thing of the past because they use their phones for time.
natural