Phrase guide

forever and a day

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adv

Meaning 1

For a very long or seemingly endless time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable

Examples

  • I'll love you forever and a day.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: for ever and ever, forever and forever, forever and ay, a year and a day

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

for a very long or seemingly endless time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she took forever to write the paper
  • we had to wait forever and a day

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: forever

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Possibly a folk-etymological alteration of forever and ay.