Word
sunday
Phoneticssun·day, stress on the first syllable
/ˈsənˌdeɪ/
Definitions
01the day of the week
A1 · Beginner Countable noun
n. the day that comes after Saturday and before Monday.
n. the day of the week following Saturday and preceding Monday, traditionally observed as a day of rest or worship in many cultures.
“We usually go for a long walk in the park on Sunday morning.”
“Most shops in the city centre operate on reduced hours on Sunday, reflecting the traditional status of the day as a period of rest.”
02on Sunday
A2 · Elementary American English · Informal
adv. happening on the most recent or the next Sunday.
adv. used to indicate that an event occurs on Sunday; common in North American English without the preposition 'on'.
“The team plays Sunday, so we need to buy tickets today.”
“The gallery is scheduled to open Sunday, provided the final installations are completed by the Saturday evening deadline.”
Usage
In American English, the day name can function as an adverb without a preposition.
03occasional or unskilled
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
adj. describes someone who only does an activity occasionally and is not very good at it.
adj. attributive use describing a person who engages in an activity only occasionally or as a hobbyist, often implying a lack of professional skill.
“He is just a Sunday driver who moves very slowly and annoys other people.”
“The professional cyclists were frustrated by the Sunday riders who blocked the narrow mountain paths during the weekend race.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04best or elegant
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
adj. describes your best clothes or items, usually kept for special occasions.
adj. attributive use referring to one's finest clothing or possessions, historically those reserved for church attendance.
“She put on her Sunday best for the family wedding.”
“The children were dressed in their Sunday clothes, looking unusually tidy for the formal portrait session.”
Antonyms
05to spend the day
C2 · Proficiency Informal
v. to spend your Sunday in a specific place or with specific people.
v. to pass the duration of a Sunday at a particular location or in the company of specific individuals.
“We decided to Sunday at the coast to enjoy the fresh sea air.”
“The family has a long-standing tradition of Sundaying at their country estate whenever the weather permits during the summer months.”
Etymology
From Middle English Sonday, from Old English sunnandæġ, from Proto-West Germanic *Sunnōn dag (literally “day of the Sun”), equivalent to sun + day, as a calque (interpretātiō germānica) of Latin diēs Sōlis; declared the "venerable day of the sun" by Roman Emperor Constantine on March 7, 321 C.E. Compare Saterland Frisian Sundai (“Sunday”), German Low German Sünndag, Dutch zondag, West Frisian snein, German Sonntag, Danish søndag.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Idioms
01. any given Sunday
03. month of Sundays
04. never in a month of Sundays
06. Sunday best
07. Sunday driver
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/sunday