yesterday
/'jestədi/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
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.
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
- in the recent past; only a short time ago
- I was not born yesterday!
- on the day preceding today
- yesterday the weather was beautiful
Noun
- the recent past
- yesterday's solutions are not good enough
- we shared many yesterdays
- the day immediately before today
- it was in yesterday's newspapers