holiday
gb/hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/ us/hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
A1
English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
state
1
Time off work or school
A day or time when you do not work or go to school, usually to relax or celebrate something.
Usage pattern:
to be on holiday
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'holiday' and 'vacation'. In British English, 'holiday' is used for both public days off and personal trips; in American English, 'vacation' is more common for personal trips.
Synonyms
vacation (Commonly used in American English for time off work or school, especially for travel.)
Antonyms
workday (A regular day when people work or go to school.)
Collocations
public holiday
|bank holiday
|school holiday
|holiday season
|on holiday
Themes
daily life
|culture
|travel
|work
|education
|daily_life
Examples
- We usually go to the beach during the summer holiday.
- The office will be closed for the national holiday.
- She spent her holiday visiting family in Italy.
- Christmas is her favorite holiday of the year.
- Many businesses shut down for the New Year holiday.
Learner examples
- I am on holiday this week.
- School is closed for the winter holiday.
- They are taking a holiday in Spain.
- Tomorrow is a public holiday.
- We have a two-week holiday in August.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Special day of celebration
A special day when people celebrate something important, like Christmas or Independence Day.
Synonyms
festival (Often refers to a multi-day event with celebrations, not just a single day.)
Antonyms
ordinary day (A normal day without special recognition or celebration.)
Collocations
religious holiday
|national holiday
|public holiday
|holiday traditions
Themes
culture
|tradition
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Thanksgiving is an important holiday in the United States.
- Eid is a major holiday for Muslims around the world.
- The Fourth of July is a national holiday in America.
- They decorate their home for every holiday.
- Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days.
Learner examples
- Christmas is my favorite holiday.
- We have many holidays in our country.
- New Year’s Day is a public holiday.
- Easter is a Christian holiday.
- They celebrate this holiday every year.
Verb
B1
action
3
Take time off for leisure
To go somewhere to relax and not work for a short time.
Usage pattern:
to holiday in [a place]
Common mistake:
Some learners are unaware that 'holiday' can be used as a verb, especially in British English.
Synonyms
vacation (American English verb form meaning the same thing.)
Antonyms
work (To perform one's job rather than take leisure time.)
Collocations
holiday abroad
|holiday together
|holiday in Spain
Themes
travel
|daily life
|daily_life
Examples
- They usually holiday in France each summer.
- We plan to holiday on the coast this year.
- She loves to holiday in warm countries.
- He’s holidaying with friends in Greece.
- They are holidaying abroad for two weeks.
Learner examples
- We will holiday in Italy this summer.
- They like to holiday by the sea.
- She is holidaying with her family.
- I want to holiday in Japan someday.
- They are holidaying for two weeks.
Grammar
Dictionary form
holiday
IPA
GB/hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
US/hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
Syllables & stress
hol - i - day (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hol)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: holiday
- Plural: holidays
Verb
- Base: holiday
- 3rd Person Singular: holidays
- Present Participle: holidaying
- Past: holidayed
Word family
Forms
holidays
noun
holidaying
verb
holidayed
verb
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
workday
noun
Expressions
bank holiday
1/bˈæŋk hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
fixed phrase
UK official public day off
In the UK, an official day when banks and many other businesses are closed.
Examples
- We’re going away for the bank holiday weekend.
- Shops may have shorter hours during a bank holiday.
holiday season
1/hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ sˈizən/
fixed phrase
Period around major celebrations
The time of year when many important holidays happen close together, especially at the end of the year.
Examples
- Retail sales increase during the holiday season.
- We spend a lot of time with family in the holiday season.
on holiday
1/ˈɔn hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
fixed phrase
Not working due to break
Not working or going to school because you are resting or traveling.
Examples
- She’s on holiday in Spain right now.
- The factory will be closed while the workers are on holiday.
public holiday
1/pˈʌblɪk hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
fixed phrase
Official non-working day
A day when most people do not work because it is set by the government as a special day.
Examples
- Banks are closed on public holidays.
- Next Monday is a public holiday so offices will be shut.
take a holiday
1/tˈeɪk ə hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
fixed phrase
Stop work for rest/travel
To decide to stop working for some time to relax or travel.
Examples
- I think you should take a holiday before you get too tired.
- He took a long holiday after finishing the project.