field day
Americannoun
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a day devoted to outdoor sports or athletic contests, as at a school.
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an outdoor gathering; outing; picnic.
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a day for military exercises and display.
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an occasion or opportunity for unrestricted activity, amusement, etc..
The children had a field day with their new skateboards.
noun
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a day spent in some special outdoor activity, such as nature study or sport
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a day-long competition between amateur radio operators using battery or generator power, the aim being to make the most contacts with other operators around the world
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military a day devoted to manoeuvres or exercises, esp before an audience
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informal a day or time of exciting or successful activity
the children had a field day with their new toys
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a day or series of days devoted to the demonstration of farm machinery in country centres
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a combined open day and sale on a stud property
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of field day
First recorded in 1740–50
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.
One year, I hosted an adult field day at the park with sack races, water balloons and snow cones, so I have some fun ideas for you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
Jimmy Fallon will have a field day with that — if we survive the storm.
From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2026
In fact, activist shareholders have been having a field day lately.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
Lost in the heat of competition, they had interrupted a field day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2025
It must be a field day for Kerrith boatmen.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
