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old enough to know better
/oʊld ɪˈnʌf tu noʊ ˈbɛtər/
having enough experience to avoid mistakes
You're old enough to know better than to believe that.
The speaker is criticizing someone for making a foolish decision despite their age and experience.
informal
Having sufficient maturity or experience to recognize and avoid mistakes or poor decisions.
At 30, you should be old enough to know better than to waste money on get-rich-quick schemes.
The speaker is expressing disappointment that someone at that age would fall for a scam.
She rolled her eyes and said, 'You're old enough to know better than to lie to your parents.'
The phrase is used to scold someone for behaving immaturely.
This phrase is often used to criticize someone for making a poor decision despite their age or experience.
Collocations
know betterto have enough experience to avoid mistakes
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Tone Matters
This phrase is often used in a critical or disapproving tone, so be aware of the context when using it.
Gold Rule
Use for Criticism
This phrase is typically used to criticize someone for making a poor decision, so use it carefully to avoid sounding overly harsh.
Word Origin
The phrase combines the idea of age ('old enough') with the expectation of wisdom ('know better'). It implies that with age comes the ability to make better decisions.
Usage Notes
This phrase is often used in a critical or disapproving tone to suggest that someone should have made a wiser choice given their age or experience.
Word Breakdown
old enough
having sufficient age or experience
phraseto know better
to have the wisdom to avoid mistakes
phraseEnglish Dictionary