English Profile

day · noun

/deɪ/Full view

Word family

Nouns: day

Adjectives: daily

Adverbs: daily

day (24 HOURS)

A1 C a period of 24 hours

Dictionary examples:

January has 31 days.

the days of the week

He runs five miles every day.

I saw him the day before yesterday.

We leave the day after tomorrow.

He was last seen alive five days ago.

I'll be seeing Pat in a few days

Learner example:

It will take ten days. (Key English Test; A2; Arabic)

day (LIGHT HOURS)

A2 C or U the period during the day when there is light from the sun

Dictionary examples:

a bright, sunny day

It's rained all day today.

These animals sleep in the day and hunt at night.

Learner example:

It is better to spend your day exploring the museums and ancient buildings in the city. (Preliminary English Test; B1; Farsi)

day (WORK HOURS)

A2 C the time that you usually spend at work or at school

Dictionary examples:

a normal working day

I work a seven-hour day.

We have to work a six-day week to cope with demand.

She's at home today - she's having a day off.

I have to get some sleep - I've got a big day tomorrow.

Learner example:

Tuesday is my free day. (Key English Test; A2; Spanish)

these days ()

A2 used to talk about the present time

Dictionary example:

Vegetarianism is very popular these days.

Learner example:

How are you these days? (Key English Test; A2; Chinese)

one day ()

A2 used to talk about something that happened in the past

Dictionary example:

One day, I came home to find my windows smashed.

Learner example:

One day, I was reading an interesting book when someone called me. (Preliminary English Test; B1; Italian)

the other day ()

B1 a few days ago

Dictionary example:

Didn't I see you in the post office the other day?

Learner example:

For example, the other day I stayed in my house all day watching television in bed. (Preliminary English Test; B1; Spanish)

one day/some day/one of these days ()

B1 at sometime in the future

Dictionary example:

One of these days I'll tell her what really happened.

Learner example:

I hope one day you will come with me. (Preliminary English Test; B1; Japanese)

for days ()

B1 for a long time

Dictionary example:

They haven't been seen for days.

Learner example:

I had to wait for days while the car was being repaired. (First Certificate in English; B2; Portuguese)

in those days

B2 used to talk about a period in the past

Dictionary example:

In those days, boys used to wear short trousers.

Learner example:

In those days, life was much harder than now. (First Certificate in English; B2; German)

days

C1 used to talk about a particular period of time when something happened or existed

Dictionary examples:

in my younger days

This book was written before the days of computers.

Learner example:

Before the days of television, we had the radio. (Certificate in Advanced English; C1; Swedish)

the old days

C1 a period in the past

Dictionary example:

This place isn't as good as it was in the old days!

Learner example:

In the old days, a scholar could spend years of his life in search of specific information, which now can be easily and inexpensi[ve]ly found at the click of a button! (Certificate in Advanced English; C1; Greek)

call it a day

C2 to stop doing something, especially working

Dictionary example:

It's almost midnight - let's call it a day.

Learner example:

She decided to call it a day, so Meredith mustered all her courage and wrote a letter to him: "You are not good enough for me," she told him. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Spanish)

make sb's day

C2 to make someone very happy

Dictionary example:

Seeing those little kids having so much fun just made my day.

Learner example:

Thank you for returning [my] lost diary; you have made my day! (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Dutch)

have seen better days

C2 to look old or be in bad condition because of a lot of use

Dictionary example:

This jacket has seen better days.

Learner example:

In the dense fog he managed to see a man standing nearby, whose clothes ha[d] definitely seen better days. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Polish)