duvet day

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformalBritish

   A day off work or school taken because you feel tired or stressed, rather than for illness, often spent in bed.

   Grammar: Used with take or have: she took a duvet day.

   Patterns

   • take a duvet day
   • have a duvet day

   I'm exhausted, so I'm taking a duvet day tomorrow.

   She called in and asked for a duvet day.

   After the product launch, the whole team had a duvet day.

2. 2nouncountablebusiness

   A day of leave that a company officially lets employees take at short notice without giving a reason.

   Grammar: Refers to a company policy: our firm offers two duvet days.

   Patterns

   • offer duvet days

   The firm gives staff two duvet days each year.

   You can use a duvet day without explaining why.

   Many employees save their duvet days for winter.

Word forms

Common combinations

take a duvet day

I think I'll take a duvet day on Friday.

need a duvet day

After this week, I really need a duvet day.

offer duvet days

The company offers duvet days to reduce burnout.

book a duvet day

She booked a duvet day to rest.

much-needed duvet day

We enjoyed a much-needed duvet day.

Synonyms and how they differ

mental health day

Mental health day is more explicit about the reason and is more common in American English.

sick day

A sick day requires real illness, while a duvet day does not.

personal day

Personal day is a formal, official type of leave without the cozy image.

day off

Day off is general and can be for any reason, scheduled or not.

Opposites

Word family

duvet noun

a soft quilted bed covering

duvet cover noun

a washable case for a duvet

day off noun

a day when you do not work

sick day noun

a day off because of illness

Commonly confused: duvet day or doona day?

Practice

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