Meaning & use
a red letter day
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableold-fashioned
A day that stands out as especially happy or memorable because of an important or joyful event.
Grammar: Countable and usually with a: it was a red letter day for the whole village.
Patterns
- a red letter day for someone
- a red letter day in something
The day our daughter graduated was a red letter day for the family.
It was a red letter day when the library finally reopened.
Winning the regional title made it a red letter day for the small club.
Word forms
| plural | red letter days |
|---|
Common combinations
- a red letter day for
- Today is a red letter day for the research team.
- mark a red letter day
- They marked a red letter day with a dinner.
- a real red letter day
- Getting my first book published was a real red letter day.
- remember a red letter day
- He still remembers that red letter day when his father came home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- memorable occasion
- Memorable occasion is a plain phrase for any event worth remembering, while red letter day has a warmer idiomatic ring.
- landmark day
- Landmark day stresses historical or official importance, not necessarily happiness.
- special day
- Special day is everyday and flexible, but it does not have the idiomatic flavor of red letter day.
- banner day
- Banner day is mostly American and suggests a day of great success, such as record sales.
Opposites
Word family
- red adjective
- the color of blood
- letter noun
- a written character or message
- red-letter adjective
- specially memorable or important
- holiday noun
- a day free from work or school
Commonly confused: a red letter day or red alert?
a red letter day vs red alert
A red alert warns of immediate danger. A red letter day is a happy and special occasion.
Practice
Which event would most naturally be called a red letter day?
Choose one answer.
A red letter day is a joyful, memorable occasion, such as buying a first home. The other events are routine or unpleasant.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a red letter day”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.