- 1[countable] a period of 24 hours I saw Tom three days ago. “What day is it today?” “Monday.” We're going away in a few days. They left the day before yesterday (= two days ago). We're meeting the day after tomorrow (= in two days). New Year's Day Take the medicine three times a day. We can't go there today. You can go another day. see field day, off day, red-letter day
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- 2[uncountable] the time between when it becomes light in the morning and when it becomes dark in the evening The sun was shining all day. I could sit and watch the river all day long. He works at night and sleeps during the day. Nocturnal animals sleep by day and hunt by night.
- 3[countable, usually singular] the hours of the day when you are awake, working, etc. a seven-hour working day It's been a long day (= I've been very busy). Did you have a good day? She didn't do a full day's work. I took a half day off yesterday. Have a nice day! see workday
- 4[countable, usually plural] a particular period of time or history in George Washington's day the early days of computers Most women stayed at home in those days. (informal) in the old days (= in the past) see glory days, heyday, nowadays, the present day There are many other compounds ending in day. You will find them at their place in the alphabet. Idioms
- 1with no thoughts or plans for the future They live from day to day, taking care of their sick daughter.
- 2if a situation changes from day to day, it changes often A baby's need for food can vary from day to day.
- 1during the part of someone's life when they were most successful, famous, etc. She was a great dancer in her day.
- 2when someone was young In my day, there were plenty of jobs when you left school. In Grandpa's day, owning a television was very unusual.
part of your normal working life and not unusual
very soon The letter should arrive any day now.
used to introduce the most important fact after everything has been considered At the end of the day, he'll still have to make his own decision.
in the past My dad's always talking about how great everything was back in the day.
at a particular time in the past I was a fan back in the days when the band wasn't yet famous.
the moment in the early hours of the morning when it begins to get light
to decide or agree to stop doing something After forty years in politics I think it's time for me to call it a day (= to retire).
to be successful against someone or something Despite strong opposition, the ruling party carried the day.
easy to see or understand
each day repeatedly (used especially when something is boring or annoying) She hates doing the same work day after day.
all the time; a little at a time and gradually Day by day his condition improved.
every day for a long period of time Living on junk food day in, day out is not good for you.
the time when someone will have to deal with the result of something that they have done wrong, or be punished for something bad that they have done
a person or thing will not continue to live, exist, or be successful for much longer His days as leader of the party are numbered. Whatever the protests, the school's days are numbered and it will be closed down.
to spend the last part of your life in a particular state or place He ended his days in poverty.
everyone has good luck or success at some point in their life
from the beginning It's never worked from day one. This game makes reading and spelling fun from day one.
if a situation changes from one day to the next, it is uncertain and not likely to stay the same each day I never know what to expect from one day to the next.
beginning on that day; from that time From that day forth she gave me endless friendship and encouragement.
used to say that you prefer a particular thing or person to the one that has just been mentioned We don't go out much. Give me a quiet night in front of the TV any day!
a helpful, kind thing that you do I took Sarah's children to school so I've done my good deed for the day.
an earlier period of time in your life or in history that is seen as better/worse than the present That was in the bad old days of rampant inflation.
to no longer be successful, powerful, etc. She's had her day as a supermodel.
a friendly way of saying goodbye, especially to customers
to be in poor condition Our car has seen better days!
(used when talking about someone's age) at least He must be 70 if he's a day!
used when you are very surprised at something you have never heard or seen before I've never heard such nonsense in all my born days.
when you have had time to think calmly about something; in the morning when things are clearer These things always look different in the cold light of day.
now, in the modern world
used when several unfortunate or unpleasant things happen on the same day My car broke down and then I locked myself out—it's just not my day!
used when something unusual happens, especially something good or enjoyable It's not every day that I have such an expensive lunch!
after the time when an action could be successful He finally came up with some great ideas, but it was much too late in the game to be of any use.
if two people or things are like night and day, they are completely different from each other
the whole length of the day
used to say that although you have failed or had a bad experience, you will continue
to make someone feel very happy on a particular day The phone call from Mike really made my day.
to make a particular enjoyable activity last for a whole day instead of only part of it We took a picnic lunch to the river and made a day of it.
all the time; continuously The machines are kept running night and day. The store is open day and night.
to refuse to speak to someone because you do not like or respect them Since the success of her novel, people shake her hand who once wouldn't have given her the time of day.
to not have much time Come on! We don't have all day!
during a particular period of time when someone lived the best player of his day Bessie Smith was the Madonna of her day.
that is served on a particular day in a restaurant soup of the day
at some time in the future, or on a particular day in the past One day, I want to leave the city and move to the country. One day, he walked out of the house with a small bag and never came back.
before a long time has passed One of these days you'll come back and ask me to forgive you.
a day when there are a lot of mistakes and a lot of things go wrong It's been one of those days!
common, popular, or suitable at a particular time or for a particular occasion Pessimism seems to be the order of the day.
recently I saw Jack the other day.
to say hello to someone and have a short conversation with them
used to say that a complicated task will take a long time and needs patience
the time when you are young and do not have much experience of life
to prevent failure or defeat, when this seems certain to happen Orr's late goal saved the day for the Bruins.
to save something, especially money, for a time when you will really need it
to not think about what will happen in the future I don't know if he'll get better. We're just taking it one day at a time.
used when you are saying that something is very unlikely to happen Paul? Apologize? That'll be the day!
used to talk about the present, especially when you are comparing it with the past These days kids grow up so quickly.
used to suggest that a time in the past was happier or better than now
exactly It's been three years to the day since we met.
even now, when a lot of time has passed To this day, I still don't understand why he did it.
Check pronunciation: day