Dictionary

yesteryear en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˈjɛstəɹˌjɪ(ə)ɹ/ (General-American)
• /ˈjestəjøː/ (General-South-African)
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈjɛstəjɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈjɛstəjɜː/ Wales, other regions

Etymology

From yester- + year.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable, poetic) In past years.
   • Was it yesteryear or centuries ago that the Orient Express thundered over that narrow, glistening channel and linked the Golden Horn to the Seine? 1917 April, Fullerton L[eonard] Waldo, “Embattled Serbia”, in The Forum, volume LVII, New York, N.Y.: The Forum Publishing Company […], section I, page 448:
   • What lives there today provides a clue as to what lived here yesteryear. 2005, James Lazell, “Ways of Looking at Diversity”, in Island: Fact and Theory in Nature, Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, →ISBN, section “Rarefaction”, page 13, column 2:
   • To believe in God was to Moroni’s credit. But to believe in the Son of God, a Being who had only been prophesied about and whose birth was still in the future, is truly remarkable. It is similar to those who lived yesteryear (and are living today) after the coming of Christ, who believed (and who do believe) in Him, although He has never been seen in person. 1992, V. James Lovalvo, “Role Models of Righteousness in the Book of Mormon”, in James Van Treese, editor, Book of Mormon Reflections: “Truth in Perspective”, Salt Lake City, Ut.: Northwest Publishing Inc., →ISBN, section “General Moroni”, page 329:

Forms

Relateds

bygone · yesterday

yesteryear en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈjɛstəɹˌjɪ(ə)ɹ/ (General-American)
• /ˈjestəjøː/ (General-South-African)
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈjɛstəjɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈjɛstəjɜː/ Wales, other regions

Etymology

From yester- + year.

Meanings

1. (countable, poetic, uncountable) Past years; time gone by; yore.
   • Where Babcock has proprietary technologies, they will be preserved and developed, in so far as they help to give the company an edge over its rivals. But make no mistake, if Parker and Salmon have their way, boiler suits are the workwear of yesteryear at Babcock. Graduates, not grease-monkeys, are the typical employees of the future. 1994 November 5, Ross Tieman, “Yachtsmen on a long-term voyage to recovery”, in The Times, number 65,104, London, page 25:
   • After passing Starcross and then the new […] Marsh Barton station, we soon arrive at the delightful Exeter St Davids station, which still retains much of its charm and GWR character of yesteryear. 2023 August 23, Pip Dunn, “The last bastion of the HST 'Castles'”, in RAIL, number 990, page 49:
   • Oh, the cozy glow of yesteryear. Oh, the twinkly lights and all the cheer. We're bringin' back Christmas. 2022, Ryan Reynolds and The Spirited Ensemble, “Bringin’ Back Christmas”, in Spirited:
   • It seems to me that it isn't these little acts and little connexions we make in our lives that matter so very much. They pass away, and where are they? Where…Where are the snows of yesteryear? 1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 5, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Gutenberg edition, [Florence, Italy]: [ […] Tipografia Giuntina, […]], →OCLC; republished as Lady Chatterley’s Lover (eBook no. 0100181h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, August 2011, archived from the original on 11 Nov 2020:
   • To be old here, is to be respectable, and time-honored is the epithet most coveted. You see no sign of the doings of yesterday or yesteryear: the new is careful of obtruding itself, and comes into the world under matronage of the old. 1840 August 2, George H[enry] Calvert, Scenes and Thoughts in Europe. […], New York, N.Y.: Wiley and Putnam, published 1846, page 5:
2. (countable, rare, uncountable) Last year.

Forms

Deriveds

where are the snows of yesteryear

Synonyms

foretime (time gone by) · yestertide

Translations (74)

ga anuraidh (last year — see also last year) · gmh vert (last year — see also last year) · de Vorjahr (last year — see also last year) · pt outrora (times gone by) · da i fjor (last year — see also last year) · fi mennyt vuosi (last year — see also last year) · cy llynedd (last year — see also last year) · es antaño (times gone by) · tr bıldır (last year — see also last year) · pl zeszły rok (last year — see also last year) · vi xưa (times gone by) · nl verleden (times gone by) · ca antany (last year — see also last year) · fo í fjør (last year — see also last year) · sv i fjor (last year — see also last year) · sa परुत् (last year — see also last year) · nl voorbije (times gone by) · sv i fjol (last year — see also last year) · no i fjor (last year — see also last year) · uk мину́ле (times gone by) · sk vlani (last year — see also last year) · hu tavaly (last year — see also last year) · fr jadis (times gone by) · uk мину́лого ро́ку (last year — see also last year) · it passato (times gone by) · fr an dernier (last year — see also last year) · uk торі́к (last year — see also last year) · pt ano passado (last year — see also last year) · fr année dernière (last year — see also last year) · fi menneet vuodet (times gone by) · grc πέρυσι (last year — see also last year) · nl gisterjaar (last year — see also last year) · cy llynedd (times gone by) · is í fyrra (last year — see also last year) · sh лани (last year — see also last year) · he אשתקד (last year — see also last year) · sl láni (last year — see also last year) · bg лани (last year — see also last year) · mi tauhounga (last year — see also last year) · el πέρυσι (last year — see also last year) · xcl հերու (last year — see also last year) · eu iaz (last year — see also last year) · fr antan (times gone by) · cs loni (last year — see also last year) · io olim (times gone by) · fr année passée (last year — see also last year) · uk мину́вшина (times gone by) · es año pasado (last year — see also last year) · es antaño (last year — see also last year) · lv pērngad (last year — see also last year) · ks پَرُس (last year — see also last year) · ko 작년 (last year — see also last year) · fr an passé (last year — see also last year) · el κάποτε (times gone by) · el παλιά (times gone by) · vi ngày xưa (times gone by) · mi raurangi (times gone by) · gmq-osw fiordh (last year — see also last year) · ja 去年 (last year — see also last year) · hy հերու (last year — see also last year) · ca antany (times gone by) · ru в прошлом году (last year — see also last year) · pl minione lata (times gone by) · de einst (times gone by) · it anno scorso (last year — see also last year) · nl weleer (times gone by) · nds-de Vörjohr (last year — see also last year) · sh lani (last year — see also last year) · lv pērn (last year — see also last year) · vi thời xưa (times gone by) · mi tauhouanga (last year — see also last year) · pt antanho (last year — see also last year) · non fjǫrð (last year — see also last year) · fa دیسال (last year — see also last year)