Skip to main content

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.
💡 Concept

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

Take a day off, break it off, and show off your rest!
🎵 Rhyme

Take a day off, break it off, and show off your rest!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/teɪk ə deɪ ɔːf/
🇬🇧 UK/teɪk ə deɪ ɒf/

🌳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

break it off
call it off
show off

🔗Collocations

take a day off work
take a day off from school
take a sick day off
take a mental health day off
take the day off
need to take a day off

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My boss was so shocked when I asked to take a day off that he checked if I had a fever.”

😄 Fun example

“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.”

😄 Fun example

“He took a day off to attend his daughter's school play and cried more than she did.”

📚Related Words

Want to master 27,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.