field day

noun

1
a
: a day for military exercises or maneuvers
b
: an outdoor meeting or social gathering
c
: a day of sports and athletic competition
2
: a time of extraordinary pleasure or opportunity
the newspaper had a field day with the scandal

Example Sentences

the fifth grade's annual field day
Recent Examples on the Web Social media websites such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram can feel like a narcissistic field day. Fortune Well, 3 Mar. 2023 His Republican critics are having a field day with that. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2023 His Republican critics are having a field day with that. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Feb. 2023 The Ravens will have a tough time scoring, even if Lamar Jackson finds his stride, but their defense should be in for a field day. Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 2 Dec. 2022 Naturally, Twitter has been having a field day with the piping hot morning-show goss. Christi Carrasstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2022 The sixth-year running back wasn’t the only one having fun in a field day for the Bengals’ offense. Mohammad Ahmad, cleveland, 6 Nov. 2022 In 1991, Princess Di famously ditched her shoes and took part in Prince Harry's school field day. Janaya Wecker, Good Housekeeping, 3 Nov. 2022 On a field day, her team might gather early in the morning to drive into the bush, sometimes accompanied by armed guards. Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'field day.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of field day was in 1747

Dictionary Entries Near field day

Cite this Entry

“Field day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/field%20day. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

field day

noun
1
: a day of outdoor sports and athletic competition
2
: a time of unusual pleasure or unexpected success
newspapers had a field day with the story

More from Merriam-Webster on field day

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


What Did You Just Call Me?

  • brown chihuahua sitting on the floor with squinting eyes looking at the camera
  • Before we went to her house, Hannah told us her aunt was a flibbertigibbet.
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY