# forever and a day

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/forever-and-a-day
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

For a very long or seemingly endless time.

## Examples

- I waited for the bus for forever and a day.
- It takes forever and a day for this computer to start up.
- You spend forever and a day choosing what to wear every morning.
- The meeting dragged on for forever and a day, and I was exhausted by the time it finally ended.
- The old house has been for sale for forever and a day, but nobody seems interested in buying it.
- My best friend and I have known each other for forever and a day, since we were in kindergarten.
- The legal department took forever and a day to review the contract, which delayed our project by several months.
- She felt as though she had been waiting for forever and a day for the letter that would change her life.

## Origin

Possibly a folk-etymological alteration of the phrase *forever and ay*, the idiom is believed to have evolved through a shift in the final term. While the precise date of its transition remains unrecorded in the brief source history, the form reflects a linguistic adjustment from the archaic *ay*, meaning ever, to the more familiar *day*. (folk)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.