yesterday
YEHS-tuh-day
Yesterday (noun) means the day before today. Example: “Yesterday was much sunnier than today.”
noun
1
The day before today.
"Yesterday was rainy, but by this morning it had begun to snow."
"Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow."
"Yesterday was much sunnier than today."
"Yesterday was a bank holiday, so all the shops were closed."
"I still haven't recovered from yesterday, which was exhausting."
adv
1
On the day before today.
"We cleaned the whole house yesterday, so it should be tidy for the guests."
"Did you see the film that was on television yesterday evening?"
"I started to watch the video yesterday, but could only finish it this evening."
"She called me yesterday to confirm the plans."
How to use yesterday
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe day right before today.
Common pairings
yesterday afternoon
as of yesterday
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Word forms
- Plural
- yesterdays
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ was much sunnier than today.
Etymology
From Old English giestrandæg, a compound of "yester-" (relating to the previous day) and "day".
Synonyms
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the day before
the previous day
the prior day
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for yesterday
See all rhymes for 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.
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