ages

[/ˈeɪdʒɪz/]
noun, verb
idades, épocas, tempos
1. plural of age; periods of time in a person's life or historical periods
She has lived through many ages of technological change.
Ela viveu através de muitas épocas de mudança tecnológica.
2. a very long time; an indefinite period
I haven't seen you in ages!
Faz séculos que não te vejo!
3. third person singular present tense of the verb 'to age'; becomes older or causes to become older
Wine ages beautifully in oak barrels.
O vinho envelhece lindamente em barris de carvalho.
4. historical or geological periods characterized by specific features
The Bronze Age ages are fascinating to archaeologists.
As Idades do Bronze são fascinantes para os arqueólogos.
The phrase 'in ages' is extremely common in both American and Brazilian English to express that something happened a long time ago in a casual, emphatic way. In Portuguese, equivalent expressions include 'faz séculos', 'faz tempo', or 'há muito tempo'. Historically, 'ages' referring to historical periods (Bronze Age, Stone Age, etc.) carries educational and archaeological significance in Western culture.
NYC Slang
mad long (as in 'I haven't seen you in mad long' equivalent to 'ages')
Synonyms / Sinônimos
erasepochsperiodsyearscenturies
Antonyms / Antônimos
momentsinstants

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
idades, épocas
most common usage in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
tempos, faz tempo
colloquial expression for 'a long time'
São Paulo
idades, séculos
similar to general Brazilian, sometimes uses 'séculos' colloquially
Portugal
idades, épocas, tempos
Portuguese usage identical to Brazilian in formal contexts

Related Words

ageagingagedancientcenturyera

Related Idioms & Phrases

ages ago - há muito tempo atrás
the ages - ao longo dos tempos
ages and ages - séculos e séculos
come of age - chegar à maioridade
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