Definition

1. Adverb:

   • On the day immediately before today: Refers to the 24-hour period that preceded the current day.
   • In the recent past; a short time ago: Used more broadly to refer to a recent time, not necessarily the literal previous day.

2. Noun:

   • The day immediately before today: The period of time that was yesterday.
   • The recent past: A time in the near past, often used metaphorically.

Examples of Usage

• Adverb:

  • I saw her yesterday at the market. (I saw her on the day before today.)
  • That seems like it happened only yesterday. (That seems like it happened very recently in the past.)

• Noun:

  • Yesterday was a public holiday. (The day before today was a holiday.)
  • We cannot live in the yesterday. (We cannot live in the past.)

Advanced Usage

• "I wasn't born yesterday": An idiom meaning "I am not naive or easily fooled."

  • You expect me to believe that? I wasn't born yesterday!

• "Yesterday's news": Refers to something that is no longer interesting, important, or relevant because it is old.

  • That scandal is yesterday's news; everyone is talking about the new merger.

Variants and Related Words

• Yesteryear (noun): The past, especially a time remembered nostalgically.
  • The cars of yesteryear were built differently.

Synonyms

• The past: A general term for time that has already happened.
• The other day: Refers to a day in the recent past, though not necessarily the literal day before today.

Related Phrases

• The day before yesterday: Refers to two days ago.
  • He arrived the day before yesterday.

Related Idioms

• Here today, gone tomorrow: Describes something that is temporary or short-lived. While not containing "yesterday," it relates to the concept of fleeting time.
  • Fashion trends are here today, gone tomorrow.

Adverb

1. in the recent past; only a short time ago
   • I was not born yesterday!
2. on the day preceding today
   • yesterday the weather was beautiful

Noun

1. the recent past
   • yesterday's solutions are not good enough
   • we shared many yesterdays
2. the day immediately before today
   • it was in yesterday's newspapers