yesterday
UK /ˈjɛstədeɪ/ · US /ˈjɛstɹdeɪ/ noun, adverb
Forms yesterdays
- noun The day immediately before today; one day ago. “Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow.”
- noun (figuratively) The past, often in terms of being outdated. “yesterday's technology”
- adverb On the day before today. “I started to watch the video yesterday, but could only finish it this evening.”
- adverb (informal) As soon as possible. “I want this done yesterday!”
Synonyms
Antonyms
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”).
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “yesterday”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details