holiday
English · Thesaurus
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holiday¹
- /ˈhɒlɪˌdeɪ/ UK
- /ˈhɒlədi/ UK
- /ˈhɒlɪdi/ UK
- /ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English halyday, holyday, halidei, haliȝdei, from Old English hāliġdæġ (“holy day, Sabbath”), equivalent to holy + day. Compare West Frisian hjeldei (“holiday”), Danish helligdag (“holiday”), Norwegian helligdag (“holiday”), Swedish helgdag (“holiday, feast”).
noun holidays · holyday
- A day on which a religious event or secular celebration is traditionally observed. Near-synonyms: holy day, feast day, festival (feast day sense)
-
A day declared free from work by the state or government.
Similar: bank holiday, national holiday, day off, off day
-
A period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.
How much holiday are you allowed?
Similar: leave, time off, vacation, annual leave, break, day off, getaway, holiday, leave of absence, pause, recess, time away
-
A period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).
I want to take a French course this summer holiday.
Similar: vacation
- A period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made. a mortgage payment holiday
-
A gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery.
Similar: lacuna
verb holidays · holidaying · holidayed · holyday
- To take a period of time away from work or study.
- To spend a period of time in recreational travel.
Holiday²
Where it comes from
English surname, variant of Holliday.
proper noun Holliday
- A surname.
- The holiday season or Christmas season, especially when paired with a year. Holiday 2014
- A census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States, named after Holiday Drive, a road.
- A community in the township of Zorra, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: vacation, christmas, weekend, fiesta, noël, bairam, eid, anniversary, birthday, celebration, fête, semester, bachelor, celebrate, festival, festive
Translations
Every language
noun day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
| Español | festividad, fiesta |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 축제일 chukjeil, 축일 chugil |
| 日本語 | 祭日 saijitsu, 祭り matsuri |
| 中文 | 節日 /节日 jiérì, 節慶 /节庆 jiéqìng |
| हिन्दी | अवकाश avkāś, छुट्टी chuṭṭī |
| Kiswahili | likizo |
| Português | feriado |
| Français | fête |
| Deutsch | Feiertag |
| Italiano | giorno festivo |
| Ελληνικά | γιορτή giortí |
| Română | sărbătoare |
| Русский | пра́здник prázdnik |
| Tiếng Việt | ngày lễ |
| العربية | عِيد ʕīd |
| עברית | חג \ חַג khag, יום טוב yóm ṭóv |
noun day declared free from work by the government
| Español | día festivo, feriado, día feriado, día de fiesta |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 휴일 hyuil, 휴가 hyuga |
| 日本語 | 休日 kyūjitsu, 休暇 kyūka |
| 中文 | 國定假日 /国定假日 |
| हिन्दी | छुट्टी chuṭṭī, अवकाश avkāś, छुट्टी का दिन chuṭṭī kā din |
| Kiswahili | likizo |
| Português | feriado |
| Français | jour férié, jour de congé |
| Deutsch | gesetzlicher Feiertag, Ruhetag |
| Italiano | giorno festivo |
| Ελληνικά | αργία argía |
| Русский | выходно́й день vyxodnój denʹ, выходно́й vyxodnój |
| Tiếng Việt | nghỉ lễ |
| العربية | عُطْل ʕuṭl, عُطْلَة ʕuṭla |
noun period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
| Español | vacación, vacaciones |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 휴가 hyuga |
| 日本語 | 休暇 kyūka, 休日 kyūjitsu |
| 中文 | 假日 jiàrì, 休假日 xiūjiàrì, 假期 jiàqī |
| हिन्दी | छुट्टी chuṭṭī, अवकाश avkāś, छुट्टी का दिन chuṭṭī kā din |
| Kiswahili | likizo |
| Português | férias |
| Français | congé, vacances |
| Deutsch | Urlaub, Ferien |
| Italiano | vacanza, ferie |
| Ελληνικά | διακοπές diakopés |
| Română | vacanță |
| Русский | о́тпуск ótpusk, отгу́л otgúl |
| Tiếng Việt | ngày nghỉ |
| العربية | إِجَازَة ʔijāza, عُطْلَة ʕuṭla |
| עברית | חופשה \ חֻפְשָׁה khufshá |
noun period during which pupils do not attend school
| Español | vacaciones |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 방학 banghak |
| 中文 | 假期 jiàqī, jiàqí |
| हिन्दी | अवकाश avkāś, छुट्टी chuṭṭī |
| Kiswahili | likizo |
| Português | férias |
| Français | vacances |
| Deutsch | Ferien, Urlaub |
| Italiano | vacanza |
| Ελληνικά | διακοπές diakopés |
| Русский | кани́кулы kaníkuly |
noun unintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
| Kiswahili | likizo |
|---|---|
| Italiano | vacanza |
| Русский | опло́шность oplóšnostʹ, про́пуск própusk, плешь plešʹ |
verb to take a period of time away from work or study
| Español | vacacionar |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | छुट्टी chuṭṭī, अवकाश avkāś |
| Português | tirar férias |
| Русский | брать о́тпуск bratʹ ótpusk, проводи́ть о́тпуск provodítʹ ótpusk, проводи́ть кани́кулы provodítʹ kaníkuly, отдыха́ть otdyxátʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | nghỉ mát |
verb to spend a period of time in recreational travel
| Español | vacacionar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | reisen, eine Ferienreise machen, urlauben |
| Русский | путеше́ствовать putešéstvovatʹ |
Talk about this word "holiday." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/holiday. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. holiday. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/holiday "holiday." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/holiday.Cite this
@misc{holiday_2026,
title = {holiday},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/holiday},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
