yore
Americannoun
adverb
noun
adverb
Etymology
Origin of yore
before 900; Middle English; Old English geāra
Explanation
If you know someone who dreams of a time long ago, when knights roamed the countryside and engaged in daring and romantic quests, you could say that person longs for “days of yore.” Yore, meaning "a time long ago," is used in the same manner as yesteryear, days gone by, and olden times. Yore has a sentimental or nostalgic tone to it, implying that the olden times being described are in some way superior to the present day. You might hear someone say, “This tragedy wouldn’t have happened in days of yore,” or “The car designs of yore were more imaginative than anything being built today.”
Vocabulary lists containing yore
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Ides, Eon, Epoch, and Era: Time-related Words
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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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.
There had been a feeling in some quarters that Ireland were not quite the force of yore, and an opening day defeat in Paris did not bode well.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
Thousands flock to its parade of cowboys on horseback, antique cars and floats featuring oil pumps -- a hat tip to the Wild West of yore.
From Barron's • Oct. 20, 2025
Like gold rushes of yore, the surest path to making money often comes from selling mining gear.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025
Instead, they opt for a film that’s far more sophisticated and surprising, while still excavating truths that always existed in those “crazy woman” thrillers of yore.
From Salon • Jul. 25, 2025
“Lemme finish now. Since they ain’t that much room in yore lot, I just think I’ll set beside Mr. Jones through eternity. I’m go’n ast the fam’ly when we go to Hebron next fourth Sunday.”
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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.
