Getting old and getting older

Nothing. They could be used at any age past the age of speech acquisition.

Hi,

What's the difference in meaning between 'I'm getting old' and 'I'm getting older'?

Often, no difference is intended, but here are a couple of comments.

'I'm getting old' Commonly said by someone who is eg 75. Not by someone who is eg 25.

'I'm getting older' Could be said by anyone, eg 25 eg 75.



Clive

But both are often said by twelve-year-olds.

Hi,
Thank you MM and Clive for your kind reply.
Does 'I'm getting older and older' mean the same as 'I'm getting old' or 'I'm getting older'?

Hi,



It's an emphatic way of saying 'I'm getting older'.



Clive

Hi,
Thank you Clive for your reply.

Unspoiled beaches are getting harder to find.

1. Can I use 'getting hard' to mean 'getting harder' here?

hi,

Unspoiled beaches are getting harder to find.

1. Can I use 'getting hard' to mean 'getting harder' here? Not really.



Getting hard - Before, maybe it was easy.



Getting harder - implies that it was already hard, and now has become more hard.



Clive

Hi Clive,
Thanks very much for the reply.

My computer is getting old.
My computer is getting older.

1.The two sentences don't mean the same, right?
2. Can I use 'is becoming' instead of 'is getting' here?

Hi,

My computer is getting old.

My computer is getting older.

1.The two sentences don't mean the same, right? Not exactly, no, although sometimes no real difference is intended.

2. Can I use 'is becoming' instead of 'is getting' here? Yes.



Clive

Clive
1.The two sentences don't mean the same, right? Not exactly, no, although sometimes no real difference is intended.


Clive

Hi Clive,
Do you mean they don't mean the same in the examples?