diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f8813cbb6d..a9a9a4c639 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -427,7 +427,8 @@ ## Video Selection:
                                      (e.g. 50k or 44.6m)
     --date DATE                      Download only videos uploaded on this date.
                                      The date can be "YYYYMMDD" or in the format
-                                     "(now|today)[+-][0-9](day|week|month|year)(s)?"
+                                     [now|today|yesterday][-N[day|week|month|year]].
+                                     Eg: --date today-2weeks
     --datebefore DATE                Download only videos uploaded on or before
                                      this date. The date formats accepted is the
                                      same as --date
diff --git a/yt_dlp/options.py b/yt_dlp/options.py
index 60f8665705..8a91952170 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/options.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/options.py
@@ -435,9 +435,8 @@ def _dict_from_options_callback(
         '--date',
         metavar='DATE', dest='date', default=None,
         help=(
-            'Download only videos uploaded on this date. '
-            'The date can be "YYYYMMDD" or in the format '
-            '"(now|today)[+-][0-9](day|week|month|year)(s)?"'))
+            'Download only videos uploaded on this date. The date can be "YYYYMMDD" or in the format '
+            '[now|today|yesterday][-N[day|week|month|year]]. Eg: --date today-2weeks'))
     selection.add_option(
         '--datebefore',
         metavar='DATE', dest='datebefore', default=None,
diff --git a/yt_dlp/utils.py b/yt_dlp/utils.py
index e683eaaf1a..ba73c2191d 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/utils.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/utils.py
@@ -1756,14 +1756,14 @@ def subtitles_filename(filename, sub_lang, sub_format, expected_real_ext=None):
 
 
 def datetime_from_str(date_str, precision='auto', format='%Y%m%d'):
-    """
-    Return a datetime object from a string in the format YYYYMMDD or
-    (now|today|yesterday|date)[+-][0-9](microsecond|second|minute|hour|day|week|month|year)(s)?
+    R"""
+    Return a datetime object from a string.
+    Supported format:
+        (now|today|yesterday|DATE)([+-]\d+(microsecond|second|minute|hour|day|week|month|year)s?)?
 
-    format: string date format used to return datetime object from
-    precision: round the time portion of a datetime object.
-                auto|microsecond|second|minute|hour|day.
-                auto: round to the unit provided in date_str (if applicable).
+    @param format       strftime format of DATE
+    @param precision    Round the datetime object: auto|microsecond|second|minute|hour|day
+                        auto: round to the unit provided in date_str (if applicable).
     """
     auto_precision = False
     if precision == 'auto':
@@ -1775,7 +1775,7 @@ def datetime_from_str(date_str, precision='auto', format='%Y%m%d'):
     if date_str == 'yesterday':
         return today - datetime.timedelta(days=1)
     match = re.match(
-        r'(?P<start>.+)(?P<sign>[+-])(?P<time>\d+)(?P<unit>microsecond|second|minute|hour|day|week|month|year)(s)?',
+        r'(?P<start>.+)(?P<sign>[+-])(?P<time>\d+)(?P<unit>microsecond|second|minute|hour|day|week|month|year)s?',
         date_str)
     if match is not None:
         start_time = datetime_from_str(match.group('start'), precision, format)
@@ -1798,16 +1798,14 @@ def datetime_from_str(date_str, precision='auto', format='%Y%m%d'):
 
 
 def date_from_str(date_str, format='%Y%m%d', strict=False):
-    """
-    Return a datetime object from a string in the format YYYYMMDD or
-    (now|today|yesterday|date)[+-][0-9](microsecond|second|minute|hour|day|week|month|year)(s)?
+    R"""
+    Return a date object from a string using datetime_from_str
 
-    If "strict", only (now|today)[+-][0-9](day|week|month|year)(s)? is allowed
-
-    format: string date format used to return datetime object from
+    @param strict  Restrict allowed patterns to "YYYYMMDD" and
+                   (now|today|yesterday)(-\d+(day|week|month|year)s?)?
     """
-    if strict and not re.fullmatch(r'\d{8}|(now|today)[+-]\d+(day|week|month|year)(s)?', date_str):
-        raise ValueError(f'Invalid date format {date_str}')
+    if strict and not re.fullmatch(r'\d{8}|(now|today|yesterday)(-\d+(day|week|month|year)s?)?', date_str):
+        raise ValueError(f'Invalid date format "{date_str}"')
     return datetime_from_str(date_str, precision='microsecond', format=format).date()