bygone

American  

[bahy-gawn, -gon] / ˈbaɪˌgɔn, -ˌgɒn /

adjective

1. past; gone by; earlier; former.

   The faded photograph brought memories of bygone days.

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noun

1. Usually bygones. that which is past.

   Let's not talk of bygones.

idioms

1. let bygones be bygones, to decide to forget past disagreements; become reconciled.

   Let's let bygones be bygones and be friends again.

bygone British  

/ ˈbaɪˌɡɒn /

adjective

1. (usually prenominal) past; former

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noun

1. (often plural) a past occurrence

2. (often plural) an artefact, implement, etc, of former domestic or industrial use, now often collected for interest

3. 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.

Example Sentences

Togelius’s and Hassabis’s origin stories are relics of a bygone era where gaming was the money-making machine and AI was a quixotic science experiment.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

In a bygone era, an initial public offering was a way for investors to get in on the ground floor of a promising company.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Another exhibit standout is a wall that maps L.A.’s bygone punk clubs like the Starwood, the Masque, Club Lingerie and Madame Wong’s, which stretched from Hollywood to Beverly Hills to East L.A. and Chinatown.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

The word “Kościuszko”—like “BQE,” “McGuinness-Humboldt” and, in bygone days, “the Elmhurst tanks”—can strike fear in the hearts of longtime New York commuters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

It is a tribute to whoever forged it in bygone ages.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques