yesteryear

noun

yes·​ter·​year ˈye-stər-ˌyir 

1

: last year

2

: time gone by

especially : the recent past

yesteryear adverb

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Word History of Yesteryear

Mais où sont les neiges d’antan is the refrain of a famous poem by François Villon, translated as “But where are the snows of yesteryear?” The line is understood to express a melancholy nostalgia.

The translation was by the English poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Both the French antan and yesteryear originally simply meant “last year,” but today their meaning has broadened to “time gone by.”

Synonyms of yesteryear

• past

Examples of yesteryear in a Sentence

the simple games of yesteryear that kept children entertained for hours

Recent Examples on the Web

Then there are the changes to index-inclusion rules made by Nasdaq and FTSE Russell, which will allow SpaceX to enter their indexes at an accelerated pace compared with IPOs of yesteryear. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 16 June 2026

Ready for a summer restock of body care products but missing your favorite scents from yesteryear? —Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 15 June 2026

Arrange them on a shelf for a touch of yesteryear in your kitchen. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 June 2026

The juggle to fill a fight calendar is a reminder that the UFC doesn’t need the stars of today to sell pay-per-views like the needle-movers of yesteryear. —Mark Puleo, New York Times, 13 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

yesterday + year

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing yesteryear

• of yesteryear

Rhymes for yesteryear

• acyclovir
• asthenosphere
• ganciclovir
• magnetosphere
• atmosphere
• biosphere
• centromere
• chemosphere
• chromosphere
• hemisphere
• hydrosphere
• lithosphere

Kids Definition

yesteryear

noun

yes·​ter·​year ˈyes-tər-ˌyi(ə)r 

1

: last year

2

: the recent past