take a day off — to have a day away from work or duties for rest or personal activities
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to have a day away from work or duties for rest or personal activities
Pronunciation (IPA): /teɪk ə deɪ ɔːf/
Example Sentences
- My boss was so shocked when I asked to take a day off that he checked if I had a fever.
- She decided to take a day off to binge-watch her favorite series and eat ice cream for breakfast.
- After working 12 days straight, taking a day off felt like winning the lottery.
take a day off
VERB[/teɪk ə deɪ ɔːf/]
to have a day away from work or duties for rest or personal activities

She decided to take a day off and finally rest at home.

Take a day off, break it off, and show off your rest!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This phrase combines three Old Germanic elements: 'take' derives from Old Norse 'taka' (to seize or grasp), 'day' from Old English 'dæg' (a 24-hour period), and 'off' from Old English 'of' meaning separation or distance. The idiomatic sense of withdrawing oneself from work obligations emerged in English by the 19th century.
Breakdown
take (Old Norse 'taka': to seize) + day (Old English 'dæg': 24-hour period) + off (Old English 'of': away, separated). The phrase literalizes as 'to remove/separate a day' from one's duties or workplace.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My boss was so shocked when I asked to take a day off that he checked if I had a fever.”
“She decided to take a day off to binge-watch her favorite series and eat ice cream for breakfast.”
“After working 12 days straight, taking a day off felt like winning the lottery.”
“He took a day off to attend his daughter's school play and cried more than she did.”
📚Related Words
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