old before one’s time—older in looks or physical condition than is right for one’s age:
- He was getting old then long before his time. He’d come in from his sermons complaining of rheumatism and the cold.
old beyond one’s years—more mature and knowledgeable than others of the same age:
- Though old beyond her years in some respects, I felt she was emotionally immature and certainly not ready for marriage.