Phrase guide

May Day

noun · 3 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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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The first day of May, a festival celebrating the beginning of the spring season; originally, and still among neopagans, a fertility celebration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Labour Day, the first day of May, a worldwide workers' holiday.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

observed in many countries to celebrate the coming of spring; observed in Russia and related countries in honor of labor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: First of May, May 1

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: day

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

71 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 五朔節 /五朔节 (Wǔshuòjié) — spring festival
  • Cornish: Cala'Me — spring festival
  • Cornish: Kala' Me — spring festival
  • Finnish: vappu — spring festival
  • Greek: Πρωτομαγιά (Protomagiá) — spring festival
  • Ingrian: Maipraaznikka — spring festival
  • Irish: Lá Bealtaine — spring festival
  • Italian: calendimaggio — spring festival
  • Northern Kurdish: yekî gulanê — spring festival
  • Polish: święto majowe — spring festival
  • Scottish Gaelic: Là Bealltainn — spring festival
  • Scottish Gaelic: Là Buidhe Bealltainn — spring festival
  • Scottish Gaelic: Bealltainn — spring festival
  • Spanish: mayos — spring festival
  • Welsh: Gŵyl Fai — spring festival
  • Welsh: Calan Mai — spring festival
  • Arabic: يَوْم العُمَّال العَالَمِيّ (yawm al-ʕummāl al-ʕālamiyy) — workers' holiday
  • Arabic: يَوْم العُمَّال (yawm al-ʕummāl) — workers' holiday
  • Armenian: Աշխատանքի օր (Ašxatankʻi ōr) — workers' holiday
  • Burmese: အလုပ်သမားနေ့ (a.lupsa.ma:ne.) — workers' holiday
  • Catalan: Primer de Maig — workers' holiday
  • Chinese Mandarin: 勞動節 /劳动节 (láodòngjié) — workers' holiday
  • Danish: første maj — workers' holiday
  • Danish: 1. maj — workers' holiday
  • Danish: arbejdernes internationale kampdag — workers' holiday
  • Dutch: Dag van de Arbeid — workers' holiday
  • Estonian: volbripäev — workers' holiday
  • Estonian: töörahvapüha — workers' holiday
  • Finnish: vappu — workers' holiday
  • French: fête du Travail — workers' holiday
  • French: fête des Travailleurs — workers' holiday
  • Galician: Día do Traballo — workers' holiday
  • German: Tag der Arbeit — workers' holiday
  • German: Erster Mai — workers' holiday
  • German: Maifeiertag — workers' holiday
  • German: Kampftag der Arbeiterklasse — workers' holiday
  • German: Kampftag der Arbeiterbewegung — workers' holiday
  • Greek: Εργατική Πρωτομαγιά (Ergatikí Protomagiá) — workers' holiday
  • Greek: Πρωτομαγιά (Protomagiá) — workers' holiday
  • Hebrew: אחד במאי — workers' holiday
  • Hungarian: munka ünnepe — workers' holiday
  • Icelandic: fyrsti maí — workers' holiday
  • Italian: Primo Maggio — workers' holiday
  • Italian: festa dei lavoratori — workers' holiday
  • Japanese: メーデー (Mēdē) — workers' holiday
  • Karelian: pervomaiju — workers' holiday
  • Korean: 노동절 (nodongjeol) — workers' holiday
  • Northern Kurdish: yekî gulanê — workers' holiday
  • Macedonian: Ден на трудот (Den na trudot) — workers' holiday
  • Macedonian: Меѓународен ден на трудот (Meǵunaroden den na trudot) — workers' holiday
  • Macedonian: Први мај (Prvi maj) — workers' holiday
  • Malay: Hari Buruh — workers' holiday
  • Norwegian: første mai — workers' holiday
  • Polish: Święto Pracy — workers' holiday
  • Portuguese: Dia do Trabalhador — workers' holiday
  • Portuguese: Primeiro de Maio — workers' holiday
  • Russian: Пра́здник весны́ и труда́ (Prázdnik vesný i trudá) — workers' holiday
  • Russian: День труда́ (Denʹ trudá) — workers' holiday
  • Russian: Первома́й (Pervomáj) — workers' holiday
  • Northern Sami: válbor — workers' holiday
  • Scottish Gaelic: Bealltainn — workers' holiday
  • Upper Sorbian: dźěłowy dźeń — workers' holiday
  • Lower Sorbian: źěłowy źeń — workers' holiday
  • Sranan Tongo: Wrokomandei — workers' holiday
  • Swahili: leba dei — workers' holiday
  • Swahili: Siku ya Wafanyakazi — workers' holiday
  • Swedish: första maj — workers' holiday
  • Swedish: valborg — workers' holiday
  • Swedish: vappen — workers' holiday
  • Tagalog: Araw ng mga Manggagawa — workers' holiday
  • Turkish: işçi bayramı — workers' holiday