field day

See synonyms for field day on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a day devoted to outdoor sports or athletic contests, as at a school.

  2. an outdoor gathering; outing; picnic.

  1. a day for military exercises and display.

  2. an occasion or opportunity for unrestricted activity, amusement, etc.: The children had a field day with their new skateboards.

Origin of field day

1
First recorded in 1740–50

Words Nearby field day

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use field day in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for field day

field day

noun
  1. a day spent in some special outdoor activity, such as nature study or sport

  2. 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

  1. military a day devoted to manoeuvres or exercises, esp before an audience

  2. informal a day or time of exciting or successful activity: the children had a field day with their new toys

  3. Australian

    • a day or series of days devoted to the demonstration of farm machinery in country centres

    • a combined open day and sale on a stud property

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with field day

field day

A time of great pleasure, activity, or opportunity, as in The press had a field day with this sensational murder trial. This colloquial expression, dating from the 1700s, originally referred to a day set aside for military maneuvers and exercises, and later was extended to a similar day for sports and games. Since the early 1800s it has been used more loosely.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.