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.
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
Palaeoanthropology must regain its glory as a science that’s not only about bones, but that’s an ethological, cultural, and social study of bygone human societies.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
It was a crowd-pleasing moment, to be sure, but more in keeping with the bygone era of TV variety shows than with prime Broadway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
“The kind of incrementalism that Eric Murphy seems to be doing is something from a bygone era, where people were more pragmatic in the movement and not punished for it,” she said.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026
Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of the bygone times, and very softly she began to murmur the words to the song.
From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden
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.
