Meanings
plural Singles' Days · alternative Single's Day · alternative Singles Day
- countableholidaysNovember 11th, a day for shopping and celebrating not being in a relationship, originating in China, the shopping event has spread worldwide.
Synonyms: Anti-Valentine Day, Anti-Valentine's Day, Anti-Valentines' Day, Anti-Valentines Day, Bachelor Day, Bachelors Day, Bachelor's Day, Bachelors' Day
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounNovember 11th, a day for shopping and celebrating not being in a relationship, originating in China, the shopping event has spread worldwide.
Origin
- Chinese光棍節 /光棍节
- EnglishSingles' Day
Calque of Chinese 光棍節 /光棍节 (guānggùnjié). From being a day for single people who are not in a relationship, the complement of Valentine's Day. From Chinese slang for a bachelor without familial branches being a stick, and the set of ones in the date of 11/11 being a set of sticks, a set of singles. Originating at the University of Nanjing in the 1990s as Bachelors' Day, and popularized as a shopping event day by Alibaba in the 2000s.
More words from Chinese
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 光棍節 /光棍节, 雙11 /双11
- 光棍節 /光棍节 (guānggùnjié)a day for celebrating being single, a day for shopping, 11.11
- 雙11 /双11 (Shuāngshíyī)a day for celebrating being single, a day for shopping, 11.11
- 雙十一 /双十一 (Shuāngshíyī)a day for celebrating being single, a day for shopping, 11.11
Cite this entry
Singles' Day. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Singles'%20Day
“Singles' Day.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Singles'%20Day. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Singles' Day,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Singles'%20Day.
Source: Singles' Day on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.