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Meaning & use

being in your prime

phrase·Everyday

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UK/ˌbiːɪŋ ɪn jɔː ˈpraɪm/
US/ˌbiːɪŋ ɪn jʊr ˈpraɪm/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiom

    the state of being at the time of life when you are strongest, healthiest, or most successful.

    Grammar: Acts like a noun, so it can be the subject of a sentence or follow a preposition.

    Patterns

    • be in your prime
    • be in his/her prime
    • in the prime of life

    Being in your prime means you can train hard and still recover fast.

    She wrote her best novels while she was in her prime.

    Many athletes are in their prime in their late twenties.

  2. phraseidiom

    the period when something is at its most effective, popular, or powerful.

    Grammar: Used about things and organizations as well as people; often with 'still' or 'past'.

    Patterns

    • be in its prime
    • be past its prime
    • still in its prime

    The company was in its prime when it opened offices on three continents.

    This old car is past its prime, but it still runs.

    The market for these phones is no longer in its prime.

Common combinations

in the prime of life
He died suddenly, in the prime of life.
past your prime
Some people think a singer over fifty is past her prime, but I disagree.
at the peak of your powers
The pianist was at the peak of her powers that night.
in your prime years
He spent his prime years working abroad.

Synonyms and how they differ

in your heyday
This sounds more nostalgic and usually refers to a past period of fame or success, while 'in your prime' can describe the present.
at your peak
This stresses the highest point of performance and is common in sports and careers; 'in your prime' covers a longer span of time.
in your best years
More emotional and often used about someone who has died young; 'in your prime' is more neutral.

Opposites

past your primeover the hill

Word family

prime noun
the time when someone or something is strongest or most successful.
prime adjective
main or most important, as in 'prime example'.
primed adjective
prepared or ready for something.

Commonly confused: being in your prime or prime (verb)?

being in your prime vs prime (verb)

The verb 'prime' means to prepare something, as in 'prime the pump'. It is not related to the age meaning in this phrase.

Practice

My grandfather says he was ___ when he ran his first marathon at thirty.

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