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day after day

day after day

65 2.2
Happens again and again for many days in a row
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : día tras día
  • Work at it day after day after day and be selfless, not selfish.
  • same day after day
  • struggle day after day
  • hours day after day

That's not what really happened day after day on the show.

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Examples

  • The senator has been making that same speech here day after day for the past two months.

  • She practices the piano day after day to improve her skills.

  • Just day after day, you do the same thing.

  • Of course, we face day after day a lot of challenges.

  • You just need to make small changes day after day after day.

  • It's hard to see how the conditions we face day after day change us.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • What gives you the strength to carry on day after day?

    Academic text (2013)
  • It's still a struggle day after day for women, you know?

  • They're life decisions that stick with you day after day, week after week, year after year.

  • "The only thing a man can do for eight hours a day, day after day, is work," Faulkner said.

    Academic text (2007)

Synonyms

all the time
vsday after day
1.0

Happens without stopping

adds sense of repetition across many 24 hour periods and monotony rather than simple frequency
daily
vsday after day
1.0

Happening or done every day

means repeated continuity over many 24 hour periods with monotony emphasized
constantly
vsday after day
740 1.0

Very often or all the time without stopping

expresses repetition across many 24 hour periods often with dull monotony
regularly
vsday after day
386 1.0

Often at the same or fixed times

means repetition that persists across many 24 hour periods and feels monotonous
repeatedly
vsday after day
382 1.0

It happens again and again

adds the sense that this occurs across many 24 hour periods in monotony
continually
vsday after day
139 2.9

Happening again and again over time, often with short breaks

focuses on ongoing repetition across many 24 hour periods rather than brief interruptions
continuously
vsday after day
95 2.3

Happens without stopping or pausing

stresses ongoing repetition across many 24 hour periods rather than intermittent events
on a regular basis
vsday after day
91 2.3

Happens often at set times

focuses on repetition continuing across many 24 hour periods, often without change
relentlessly
vsday after day
53 4.9

Continuing without stopping in a strong, determined way

expresses repetition across many 24 hour periods but not necessarily intense force
day in, day out
vsday after day
  • Informal
37 3.6

Happens every day for a long time in the same boring way

is the same idea but stressed as repetition across many 24 hour periods
day in and day out
vsday after day
  • Informal
33 3.4

Every day for a long time without any change

focuses on repeated continuity over many 24 hour periods rather than single episodes
chronically
vsday after day
28 4.8

In a way that lasts a long time, often with illness or other problems

refers to long lasting repetition across many 24 hour periods, often monotonous
incessantly
vsday after day
22 6.3

In a way that continues without stopping for a long time

is similar but emphasizes prolonged recurrence across many 24 hour periods
days on end
vsday after day
10 3.7

For many days in a row without stopping

focuses on repetition across many 24 hour periods rather than one long stretch
perennially
vsday after day
6 5.4

Happens every year or for a long time

refers to repeated continuity across many 24 hour periods often with monotony
day-by-day
vsday after day
4 2.5

Happening or changing every day

is about repetition across many 24 hour periods but with a sense of gradual change
unrelentingly
vsday after day
3 7.5

Continuing very strongly and not becoming less

implies repeated continuation over many 24 hour periods but less about force
unceasingly
vsday after day
2 6.6

In a way that does not stop

describes repeated presence across many 24 hour periods, with steady persistence
interminably
vsday after day
2 7.6

In a way that goes on for a very long time with no end in sight

highlights repetition across many 24 hour periods and monotonous, wearying duration
every second of the day
vsday after day
  • Informal
1 2.5

All the time without stopping

communicates repetition across many 24 hour periods but not necessarily literal every second
unremittingly
vsday after day
1 8.0

Continuing without stopping or getting weaker

signals repetition across many 24 hour periods but not focused on severity
unendingly
vsday after day
1 5.8

Without stopping for a long time

means repetition across many 24 hour periods but focuses on the lack of ending
recurrently
vsday after day
1 4.3

Happens again and again at regular times

is about repetition that continues across many 24 hour periods rather than isolated returns

Antonyms

427 1.6

Sometimes, but not very often

How Often

constantly
740 1.0
day after day
  • Informal
65 2.2
often
1.0
sometimes
1.0
occasionally
438 2.0
once
1.0

Surface Forms

day after day positive

Morphology

day + after + day

The phrase 'day after day' is directly and transparently built from 'day' + 'after' + 'day' — literally one day following another — which easily conveys repeated or continuous occurrence. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. Spanish 'día tras día', French 'jour après jour') and follows straightforward English temporal sequencing, so a B1 learner who knows the words will understand it.

Etymology

Day after day comes from the simple image of one day coming right after another day, like pages on a calendar or the sun rising again and again. That's why it means 'repeatedly' or 'continuously' over many days.