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Synonyms

yesterday

American  
[yes-ter-dey, -dee] / ˈyɛs tərˌdeɪ, -di /

adverb

  1. on the day preceding this day.

  2. a short time ago.

    Yesterday your money went further.


noun

  1. the day preceding this day.

  2. time in the immediate past.

adjective

  1. belonging or pertaining to the day before or to a time in the immediate past.

    yesterday morning.

yesterday British  
/ -ˌdeɪ, ˈjɛstədɪ /

noun

  1. the day immediately preceding today

  2. (often plural) the recent past

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. on or during the day before today

  2. in the recent past

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
yesterday Idioms  

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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