What adjective to use?

[NuclearFairy]

I'm trying to find a word to describe someone who is around late 40s to early 60s, and I'm trying to decide on whether to use the word, middle aged, aging, aged, or something else entirely.

 

[dad_icarus]

I'm in that cohort and I am fine with being called middle aged. Mature is good also, in the right context.

 

[caleb35]

I'm trying to find a word to describe someone who is around late 40s to early 60s, and I'm trying to decide on whether to use the word, middle aged, aging, aged, or something else entirely.

Middle aged
EDIT: middle-aged going on old age, depending on where in that range you think the character is (closer to 40 vs. closer to 62). You can even play around with it and use it as a window to how the character views him/herself

 

[PennyThompson]

Mature? Older? Maybe describe them in relation to other characters, or related to their job or place in life?

"She was the senior member of her team, and all of the younger team members came to her for advice or guidance."

"He was older than me, not quite my dad's age, but close."

 

[YmaOHyd]

Of those I'd go with middle-aged. I wouldn't say aging or aged; aged in particular I'd only want to use for a geriatric, I think. People in that age range are sometimes described as of a certain age, especially wealthier women.

 

[AG31]

I'm trying to find a word to describe someone who is around late 40s to early 60s, and I'm trying to decide on whether to use the word, middle aged, aging, aged, or something else entirely.

I'd go with middle aged.

Edit: I made this reply before seeing the other responses. Looks like you're getting a consensus.

 

[AG31]

Middle aged
EDIT: middle-aged going on old age, depending on where in that range you think the character is (closer to 40 vs. closer to 62). You can even play around with it and use it as a window to how the character views him/herself

"going on late middle age" might be better.

 

[TheLobster]

Boomer, obviously.

 

[Britva415]

Boomer, obviously.

I too was going to say "name the generation," but as an X'er, I will push back against "Boomer" for this age range.

I know, I know, the kids don't know the difference, but real Boomers aren't this young anymore.

 

[AG31]

I'd stay away from generational acronyms. Hubby keeps a card in his wallet to help us decode them when needed.

 

[Areala-chan]

I'm trying to find a word to describe someone who is around late 40s to early 60s, and I'm trying to decide on whether to use the word, middle aged, aging, aged, or something else entirely.

Avuncular?

 

[alohadave]

I'm trying to find a word to describe someone who is around late 40s to early 60s, and I'm trying to decide on whether to use the word, middle aged, aging, aged, or something else entirely.

How would the character describe themself?

 

[TheLobster]

I draw yours attention to the fact that what I jokingly proposed was not an adjective.

And answering more seriously, I think it depends on how polite and/or gracious you want to be, as well as what’s your point of reference. To a character in her early 20s, anyone 30+ is “older” and 40 is up is practically decrepit.

If the reference frame is that of your audience, then perhaps you’ll need to soften “older” with some adverb to move it away from the retirement age. Slightly? Somewhat?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Early/late middle age. He was aging into a silver fox. She was the kind of older woman students fantasied about. Etc.

 

[alohadave]

I too was going to say "name the generation," but as an X'er, I will push back against "Boomer" for this age range.

I know, I know, the kids don't know the difference, but real Boomers aren't this young anymore.

I'm just glad that people seem to have skipped over Gen-X as the current generation to be mad at. Millennials seem to have taken on that mantle.

 

[NuclearFairy]

I too was going to say "name the generation," but as an X'er, I will push back against "Boomer" for this age range.

I know, I know, the kids don't know the difference, but real Boomers aren't this young anymore.

Wrong universe for either term to apply to.

How would the character describe themself?

He insists on the honorable title of Old Bastard. Which makes him sound much older than he is.

 

[Off_base]

I'm trying to find a word to describe someone who is around late 40s to early 60s, and I'm trying to decide on whether to use the word, middle aged, aging, aged, or something else entirely.

Salty

 

[MrPixel]

...real Boomers aren't this young anymore.

True. The Boomer cohort ended at 1963. So the youngest is 62. As much as it pains me to say this, that's not middle-aged. That's Gen X'ers.

 

[Off_base]

I'm just glad that people seem to have skipped over Gen-X as the current generation to be mad at. Millennials seem to have taken on that mantle.

And gen Z

 

[SmilingLez]

I'm trying to find a word to describe someone who is around late 40s to early 60s, and I'm trying to decide on whether to use the word, middle aged, aging, aged, or something else entirely.

Seasoned

 

[NotWise]

I lean toward @PennyThompson's recommendation, but I avoid generation tags. The tags and even common descriptions like "middle aged" mean different things to different people.

If I describe a character's age, I try to do it in ways that are meaningful to the story. For instance, give some idea of their relationships or experience that place them in context, like "she saw two kids off to college," or "he was my dad's business partner."

 

[Britva415]

What's the context? Why do you need a single adjective?

How important is it that whatever adjective you choose indicates a specific numerical age range? Could it simply indicate how someone else (your protag? idk) perceives the older person?

Could the POV person's age, identity or other known information fill in any blanks about what age of another person is likely to be perceived by that person as matching whatever your "perfect" adjective is, even if that adjective doesn't always mean what you (or your POV character) wants it to mean?

But in short - what's going on with the writing or the scene such that only a perfect adjective will do? What's barring a less brief treatment?

 

[SmilingLez]

@NuclearFairy took me longer but here you go

There once was a term quite unclear.
"Middle-aged" just sparked laughter and cheer.
“Seasoned” felt right,
But “salty” - not quite
So “Seasoned” is the term that fits here.

 

[NuclearFairy]

What's the context? Why do you need a single adjective?

How important is it that whatever adjective you choose indicates a specific numerical age range? Could it simply indicate how someone else (your protag? idk) perceives the older person?

Could the POV person's age, identity or other known information fill in any blanks about what age of another person is likely to be perceived by that person as matching whatever your "perfect" adjective is, even if that adjective doesn't always mean what you (or your POV character) wants it to mean?

But in short - what's going on with the writing or the scene such that only a perfect adjective will do? What's barring a less brief treatment?

I'm trying not to get too descriptive and wordy while giving people enough building blocks to build an at least semi accurate mental image on the POV character out of.

The other character in the scene is a woman most likely in her twenties.

And he does like to play up how old he is, but he's not really old, even if that does make him sad. Because he doesn't really have any peers. He's lived his whole life amongst people who were at least 12 years older or younger than himself.

 

[Britva415]

I'm trying not to get too descriptive and wordy while giving people enough building blocks to build an at least semi accurate mental image on the POV character out of.

The other character in the scene is a woman most likely in her twenties.

And he does like to play up how old he is, but he's not really old, even if that does make him sad. Because he doesn't really have any peers. He's lived his whole life amongst people who were at least 12 years older or younger than himself.

Are you looking for the word he'd age himself with, or the word she'd use to age him?