English主要词典
day
Universal Words
noun
1 [C] a period of 24 hours:
I saw Tom three days ago. * 'What day is it today?' 'Monday.' * We're going away in a few days / in a few days' time. * They left the day before yesterday (= two days ago). * We're meeting the day after tomorrow (= in two days). * New Year's Day * Take the medicine three times a day. * We can't go there today. You can go another day.
seealsoFIELDDAY, OFFDAY, RED-LETTERDAY, SPORTSDAY
2 [U] the time between when it becomes light in the morning and when it becomes dark in the evening:
The sun was shining all day. * I could sit and watch the river all day long. * He works at night and sleeps during the day. * Nocturnal animals sleep by day and hunt by night.
3 [C,usually sing.] the hours of the day when you are awake, working, etc:
a seven-hour working day * It's been a long day (= I've been very busy). * Did you have a good day? * She didn't do a full day's work. * I took a half day off yesterday. * (AmE) Have a nice day!
seealsoWORKDAY
4 [C,usually pl.] a particular period of time or history:
in Queen Victoria's day * the early days of computers * Most women stayed at home in those days. * (spoken) in the old days (= in the past)
seealsoGLORYDAYS, HEYDAY, NOWADAYS, THEPRESENTDAY
HELPNOTE There are many other compounds ending in day. You will find them at their place in the alphabet.
IDIOMS
all in a day's work part of your normal working life and not unusual
any day (now) (spoken) very soon:
The letter should arrive any day now.
carry / win the day (formal) to be successful against sb/sth:
Despite strong opposition, the ruling party carried the day.
day after day each day repeatedly (used especially when sth is boring or annoying):
She hates doing the same work day after day.
day by day all the time; a little at a time and gradually:
Day by day his condition improved.
day in, day out every day for a long period of time:
Living on junk food day in day out is not good for you.
a day of reckoning the time when sb will have to deal with the result of sth that they have done wrong, or be punished for sth bad that they have done
sb's / sth's days are numbered a person or thing will not continue to live, exist or be successful for much longer:
His days as leader of the party are numbered. * Whatever the protests, the school's days are numbered and it will be closed down.
from day one (spoken) from the beginning:
It's never worked from day one. * This game makes reading and spelling fun from day one.
from day to day
1 with no thoughts or plans for the future:
They live from day to day, looking after their sick daughter.
2 if a situation changes from day to day, it changes often:
A baby's need for food can vary from day to day.
from one day to the next if a situation changes from one day to the next, it is uncertain and not likely to stay the same each day:
I never know what to expect from one day to the next.
have had your day to no longer be successful, powerful, etc:
She's had her day as a supermodel.
have seen / known better days (humorous) to be in poor condition:
Our car has seen better days!
if he's, she's, etc. a day (spoken) (used when talking about sb's age) at least:
He must be 70 if he's a day!
in sb's day
1 during the part of sb's life when they were most successful, famous, etc:
She was a great dancer in her day.
2 when sb was young:
In my day, there were plenty of jobs when you left school. * In Grandfather's day, owning a television was very unusual.
in this day and age now, in the modern world
it's not sb's day (spoken) used when several unfortunate or unpleasant things happen on the same day:
My car broke down and then I locked myself out-it's just not my day!
make sb's day to make sb feel very happy on a particular day:
The phone call from Mike really made my day.
make a day of it (spoken) to make a particular enjoyable activity last for a whole day instead of only part of it:
We took a picnic lunch to the river and made a day of it.
not have all day to not have much time:
Come on! We don't have all day!
of sb's day during a particular period of time when sb lived:
the best writer / actor / player of his day * Bessie Smith was the Madonna of her day.
of the day that is served on a particular day in a restaurant:
soup of the day
one day at some time in the future, or on a particular day in the past:
One day, I want to leave the city and move to the country. * One day, he walked out of the house with a small bag and never came back.
one of these days before a long time has passed:
One of these days you'll come back and ask me to forgive you.
one of those days (spoken) a day when there are a lot of mistakes and a lot of things go wrong:
It's been one of those days!
some day at an unknown time in the future:
Some day I'll be famous.
take it / things one day at a time (spoken) to not think about what will happen in the future:
I don't know if he'll get better. We're just taking it one day at a time.
that'll be the day (spoken, ironic) used when you are saying that sth is very unlikely to happen:
Paul? Apologize? That'll be the day!
these days (spoken) used to talk about the present, especially when you are comparing it with the past:
These days kids grow up so quickly.
those were the days (spoken) used to suggest that a time in the past was happier or better than now
to the day exactly:
It's been three years to the day since we met.
to this day even now, when a lot of time has passed:
To this day, I still don't understand why he did it.
moreatBORN, BREAKn., CALLv., CLEARadj., COLDadj., DEED, DOGn., EARLYadj., ENDn., ENDv., FORTH, GIVEv., HIGHadj., LATEadv., LIVE, LIVELONG, NICE, NIGHT, OLD, ORDERn., OTHERadj., PASSv., PLAINadj., RAINY, ROME, SALAD, SAVEv.
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