What does morrow mean?
“Morrow” is an old-fashioned English noun meaning the day after a particular day, especially tomorrow. It occurs especially in the fixed expression “on the morrow,” as in “We shall speak again on the morrow,” and in the more formal phrase “the morrow,” which can refer broadly to the following day. The word also has associations with morning and the beginning of a day, reflecting its historical connection with Germanic expressions for morning and tomorrow. In contemporary English it is not usually used as a neutral everyday synonym for “tomorrow”; instead, it tends to appear in literary writing, ceremonial language, traditional expressions, or sentences that adopt an older, more elevated register. Its distinctive value is that it gives a passage a measured, traditional, or archaic atmosphere while retaining a clear and familiar meaning.
nounThe day following a particular day, especially the next day or tomorrow. It is now mainly found in the expressions “on the morrow” and “the morrow.”
- The day following a particular day; tomorrow or the next day.
- The following day viewed as a period of time, especially in an elevated or literary context.
"On the morrow, the storm had passed and the village began to recover."
"The king addressed the council on the morrow."
"They arrived early on the morrow, before the roads had grown busy."
A rare literary plural; most modern usage treats “morrow” as a mass or temporal noun in fixed expressions.
"The novel describes several decisive morrows in the family's history."
Once the everyday word for “tomorrow,” “morrow” survives mainly in polished phrases such as “on the morrow.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does morrow come from?
“Morrow” comes from Old English “morrow” or “morwen,” meaning the following day or the next morning. It developed within the Germanic family and is cognate with forms in Old English “morgen,” modern English “morning,” Dutch “morgen,” and German “morgen.” The modern sense “tomorrow” is especially preserved in the traditional expression “on the morrow.”
Related word forms
How morrow is actually used
Chiefly literary, archaic, traditional, or deliberately elevated rather than neutral in everyday modern usage. “On the morrow” is the most established modern expression; “the morrow” often has a formal or poetic tone.
Easily confused with morrow
“Morrow” is the older or literary equivalent of “tomorrow,” and is especially common in phrases such as “on the morrow.”
“Morrow” can refer to the following day as a whole, whereas “morning” specifically means the early part of a day.