English Explanatory Dictionary

yesterday

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The day immediately before today; one day ago.
  2. The past, often in terms of being outdated.
adv
  1. On the day before today.
  2. As soon as possible.

Pronunciation

/ˈjɛstədeɪ/ /ˈjɛstədɪ/ En-uk-yesterday.ogg /ˈjɛstɹdeɪ/ /ˈjɛstɹdi/ En-us-yesterday.ogg /ˈjɪstɹdeɪ/ /ˈjɪstɹdi/

Word forms

yesterday yesterdays

Etymology

From Middle English yesterday, yisterday, ȝesterdai, ȝisterdai, from Old English ġiestrandæġ, ġister dæġ, ġestor dæġ, ġeostran dæġ (“yesterday”), by surface analysis, yester- + day. Cognate with Scots yisterday, yesterday (“yesterday”), Saterland Frisian jässendeeg, järsendeges (“yesterday”, adverb), West Frisian justerdei (“yesterday”), Dutch gisterdag (“yesterday”), dialectal German gestertag (“yesterday”), Swedish gårdag (“yesterday”), Gothic 𐌲𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 (gistradagis, “tomorrow”, adverb). Compare further Dutch gisteren (“yesterday”), German gestern (“yesterday”).

Synonyms

the last day

Antonyms

tomorrow

Related words

yester yesterevening yestern yesternight yesternoon yestersol yesteryear yestreen ereyesterday hesternal last night nudiustertian today tomorrow night tonight

Derived words

born yesterday day before yesterday ereyesterday remember like it was yesterday yesterday but one yesterday is gone yesterday night yesterday-today-and-tomorrow yesterday-today-tomorrow
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