yesterday
Americanadverb
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on the day preceding this day.
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a short time ago.
Yesterday your money went further.
noun
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the day preceding this day.
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time in the immediate past.
adjective
noun
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the day immediately preceding today
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(often plural) the recent past
adverb
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on or during the day before today
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in the recent past
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of yesterday
before 950; Middle English; Old English geostran dæg. See yester-, day
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yesterday, your sister’s birthday gift came from a Shopify store run by a kitchenware designer in Sacramento, California.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
"Yesterday was three months since we lost @vanderjames," she said, while also sharing a carousel of family photographs.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Easy: Yesterday, I was not only gripping the armrest but gripping the hand of the flight attendant who was sitting down in the aisle, soothing me as I hyperventilated and wept.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
Yesterday, Kimmel called his prior remarks a “very light roast.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Yesterday, I asked Mr. Stoker what he wanted to talk to her about.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.