yesterday's dinner

USAGE SUMMARY

"yesterday's dinner" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to a meal eaten the day before or the meal that will be eaten the following day. For example: "I'm really looking forward to yesterday's dinner tonight."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Lifestyle

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

On a Monday I have yesterday's dinner.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Out of its mouth came forth yesterday's dinner and tea.

The Guardian - Books

There were bits of yesterday's dinner still in his beard and his mickey was taking the air through the gaping front of his raggedy trousers.

The Guardian

For now, though, they still pick through refuse — shards of glass smeared with the remains of yesterday's dinner, broken shoes mixed in with rotting meat — with bare hands.

The New York Times

For example, Rufus Estes's turn-of-the-century deliberations on lunch: "Yesterday's dinner perhaps consisted of roast turkey, beef or lamb, and there is some meat left over; then pick out one of my receipts calling for minced or creamed meats; baked or stuffed potatoes are always nice, or there may be cold potatoes left over that can be mashed, made into cakes and fried".

The New Yorker

Lunch consisted of reheated rice and beans left over from yesterday's dinner.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Speaking to reporters on the red carpet, Chernow declined to describe his plans for next year's dinner, saying he's still considering ideas.

Huffington Post

It's still unclear whether President Donald Trump will attend this year's dinner after breaking tradition and skipping the event last year.

Huffington Post

At least until next year's dinner.

The New York Times

Tomorrow's dinner, she thought.

The Guardian - Books

This year's dinner, for nine, seems to be his best.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "yesterday's dinner" to specifically refer to the meal consumed the day before, especially when discussing leftovers or meal planning.

Common error

Avoid using "yesterday's dinner" when referring to a dinner planned for today or tomorrow. Instead, use "tonight's dinner" or "tomorrow's dinner".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "yesterday's dinner" functions as a noun phrase, specifically acting as a possessive noun phrase to denote a meal that occurred on the previous day. As Ludwig AI shows, this phrase commonly appears to describe reheating leftovers or recalling past meals.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Lifestyle

17%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "yesterday's dinner" is a grammatically correct and understandable possessive noun phrase used to denote a meal consumed on the previous day. Ludwig AI confirms its common usage across various contexts, particularly in news and lifestyle media. While it’s not exceptionally frequent, it's a perfectly acceptable phrase for referring to that specific meal, often in discussions about leftovers or reminiscing. Remember to use it correctly in relation to past meals and avoid using it to refer to future dining plans. Alternative ways to reference that meal include "last night's meal" or simply "leftovers".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dinner from yesterday

Rephrases to emphasize the meal itself rather than its possessive relation to "yesterday".

leftovers from dinner

Focuses on the remaining food, implying it's from a previous meal.

last night's meal

Uses a more general term for the evening meal.

the previous night's dinner

Adds formality and emphasizes the sequence of events.

dinner leftovers

Combines "dinner" and "leftovers" for brevity, focusing on the remaining food.

what we ate last night

Shifts the focus to the act of eating rather than the meal itself.

the remains of yesterday's meal

Emphasizes what's left over, often implying a smaller portion.

yesterday's supper

Uses a different word, "supper", for "dinner".

the repast of yesterday

Introduces a more formal and somewhat archaic term, "repast", for meal.

food from the previous evening

Rephrases to refer to the meal in a more descriptive way.

FAQs

How can I use "yesterday's dinner" in a sentence?

"Yesterday's dinner" is used to refer to a meal eaten the day before. For example, "I reheated "yesterday's dinner" for lunch today".

What's another way to say "yesterday's dinner"?

Alternatives include "last night's meal", "dinner from yesterday", or simply "leftovers" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "yesterday dinner" instead of "yesterday's dinner"?

No, it is grammatically incorrect. The possessive form, "yesterday's dinner", is needed to show that the dinner belongs to or is associated with yesterday.

Can "yesterday's dinner" refer to a meal planned for the future?

No, "yesterday's dinner" always refers to a meal that has already been eaten. To refer to a future meal, use phrases like "tonight's dinner" or "tomorrow's dinner".