bygone

adjective

by·​gone ˈbī-ˌgȯn How to pronounce bygone (audio)
also -ˌgän
Synonyms of bygone
: gone by : past
bygone days
especially : outmoded
bygone styles
bygone noun

Synonyms of bygone

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of bygone in a Sentence

the bygone days of our ancestors The stone wall is from a bygone age.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Something about the skylights transports me to a bygone New York rendered by cinema. — Nora Deligter, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2026 The first of two important points is many of those are backs who arguably would’ve tended to be drafted later in a bygone era. — Ben Gretch, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Then there’s Jensen, a bygone-era marque from Britain that returned in 2010 as a restomod house. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2026 Set the scene Though Amalfi has no shortage of decadent, bygone-era boltholes, few palazzos have balanced age-old charm with modern chic adeptly. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bygone

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bygone was in the 15th century

Rhymes for bygone

See All Rhymes for bygone

Browse Nearby Words

bygoing
bygone
by gum
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bygone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bygone. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bygone

adjective
by·​gone ˈbī-ˌgȯn How to pronounce bygone (audio)
also -ˌgän
: gone by : past
a bygone era
bygone noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All