bygone
Americanadjective
noun
idioms
adjective
noun
-
(often plural) a past occurrence
-
(often plural) an artefact, implement, etc, of former domestic or industrial use, now often collected for interest
-
to agree to forget past quarrels
Etymology
Origin of bygone
1375–1425; late Middle English (north) by-gane; see gone, by
Explanation
The adjective bygone is good for describing long-ago times. Your grandparents might enjoy looking at old photo albums and reminiscing about bygone days. A bygone era happened in the distant past, and a bygone sweetheart is an early romantic interest remembered by someone who's since lived a long life. You're most likely to see the phrase "bygone days" being used in a nostalgic way. If someone says, "Let bygones be bygones," they want to make up for long-ago slights and arguments, leaving them in the past where they belong.
Vocabulary lists containing bygone
Ancient Wisdom: Synonyms for "Old"
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 7
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Merle Haggard (1937-2016) Tribute List
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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.
Harry Styles’ queer residency, and other spectacles like it, are what is left until a new bygone era arrives in time.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
This mourning for a bygone era is a mourning for a time when Chinese families felt that if they worked hard, their lives would improve.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
He’s not unaware that Meyers’ mostly 20-something male friends have — like many — romanticized the gritty abandon of lower Manhattan’s bygone literary scene and perhaps Ed’s tenuous place in it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has described the agreement as removing "the physical barriers of a bygone era of friction" while keeping "the keys to our own front door".
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
It is a tribute to whoever forged it in bygone ages.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
