yesterday
Americanadverb
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on the day preceding this day.
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a short time ago.
Yesterday your money went further.
noun
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the day preceding this day.
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time in the immediate past.
adjective
noun
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the day immediately preceding today
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(often plural) the recent past
adverb
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on or during the day before today
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in the recent past
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of yesterday
before 950; Middle English; Old English geostran dæg. See yester-, day
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.
Yesterday, your sister’s birthday gift came from a Shopify store run by a kitchenware designer in Sacramento, California.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
King Cross Park Rugby League Club, in Halifax, also paid tribute, saying: "Yesterday we were informed of the devastating news that Reco Puttock, who played for our 2025 U13s, tragically lost his life."
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Easy: Yesterday, I was not only gripping the armrest but gripping the hand of the flight attendant who was sitting down in the aisle, soothing me as I hyperventilated and wept.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
Yesterday there was a house where you drank your coffee, cooked meals and kissed your children good night.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Yesterday being the day of independence for the United States, Wimpy had a barbecue behind his store.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
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.
