Thursday

noun

Thurs·​day ˈthərz-(ˌ)dā How to pronounce Thursday (audio) -dē How to pronounce Thursday (audio)
: the fifth day of the week
Thursdays adverb

Examples of Thursday in a Sentence

He was late last Thursday. We went on Thursday and returned on Saturday.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Zions, one of the regional banks at the center of these loan concerns, shed $1 billion in valuation in Thursday’s session alone. Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025 With Thursday night's loss to the Bengals, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are now 4-2 on the season. Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025 After announcing their reunion in June, Brandy and Monica’s The Boy Is Mine Tour kicked off Thursday at Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center, featuring appearances from Kelly Rowland and Muni Long. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2025 Since the recent clashes broke out, at least three dozen civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded in Afghanistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Thursday. Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Thursday

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English thursdæg, from Old Norse thōrsdagr; akin to Old English thunresdæg Thursday, Old Norse Thōrr Thor, Old English thunor thunder — more at thunder entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Thursday was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thursday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Thursday. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

Thursday

noun
Thurs·​day ˈthərz-dē How to pronounce Thursday (audio)
: the fifth day of the week
Etymology

Old English thursdæg, from early Norse thōrsdagr, literally "day of Thor"

Word Origin
Among the many gods worshiped by the Germanic people who lived in northern Europe in ancient times was one whose name was Thor. Thor was the god of thunder, weather, and crops. In the early Norse language, the fifth day of the week was known as thōrsdagr, literally "day of Thor," in his honor. The Norse name came into Old English as thursdæg, which in time became the Modern English Thursday.
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