yesterday
3 synonyms and 1 antonym for yesterday, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The day before today.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
the day before
the previous day
the prior day
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
The day before today.
“Yesterday was rainy, but by this morning it had begun to snow.”
the day before
the previous day
the prior day
Opposites
2. adv
On the day before today.
“We cleaned the whole house yesterday, so it should be tidy for the guests.”
Opposites
How to use yesterday
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
yesterday afternoon
as of yesterday
Etymology
From Old English giestrandæg, a compound of "yester-" (relating to the previous day) and "day".
Full origin of yesterday →Frequently asked questions
What does “yesterday” mean?
The word “yesterday” means the day before today. In plain terms, the day right before today.
How do you pronounce “yesterday”?
“Yesterday” is pronounced YEHS-tuh-day (/ˈjɛstɹdeɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “yesterday” in a sentence?
Here is “yesterday” used in a sentence: “Yesterday was much sunnier than today.”
What part of speech is “yesterday”?
Depending on how it is used, “yesterday” can be a noun and an adverb.
Where does the word “yesterday” come from?
The word “yesterday” comes from Latin. From Old English giestrandæg, a compound of "yester-" (relating to the previous day) and "day".
Is “yesterday” a common word?
“Yesterday” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “yesterday” have?
“Yesterday” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the day before today.
What is the opposite of yesterday?
The opposite of yesterday is tomorrow — the day after today, just as yesterday is the day before. Today sits between them as the present day. Together, yesterday, today, and tomorrow form the everyday way English marks the recent past, the present, and the near future.
Is yesterday a noun or an adverb?
Yesterday works as both. As a noun it names the day before today: "Yesterday was busy." As an adverb it tells when something happened: "I saw her yesterday." The meaning stays the same; only its grammatical role changes with how it is used in the sentence.
Related words
ereyesterday
hesternal
last night
nudiustertian
today
tomorrow night
tonight
yester
yesterevening
yestern
yesternight
yesternoon
yestersol
yesteryear
yestreen
