Night Definition & Meaning

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    • Synonyms night American [nahyt] / naɪt /

    noun

    1. the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

    2. the beginning of this period; nightfall.

    3. the darkness of night; the dark.

    4. a condition or time of obscurity, ignorance, sinfulness, misfortune, etc..

      the long night of European history known as the Dark Ages.

    5. (sometimes initial capital letter) an evening used or set aside for a particular event, celebration, or other special purpose.

      a night on the town; poker night; New Year's Night.

    adjective

    1. of or relating to night.

      the night hours.

    2. occurring, appearing, or seen at night.

      a night raid; a night bloomer.

    3. used or designed to be used at night.

      to take a night coach; the night entrance.

    4. working at night.

      night nurse; the night shift.

    5. active at night.

      the night feeders of the jungle.

    idioms

    1. night and day, Also day and night

      1. unceasingly; continually.

        She worked night and day until the job was done.

      2. a complete difference; completely different.

        The improvement in her grades after tutoring was like night and day.

    night British / naɪt /

    noun

    1. the period of darkness each 24 hours between sunset and sunrise, as distinct from day

    2. (modifier) of, occurring, working, etc, at night

      a night nurse

    3. the occurrence of this period considered as a unit

      four nights later they left

    4. the period between sunset and retiring to bed; evening

    5. the time between bedtime and morning

      she spent the night alone

    6. the weather conditions of the night

      a clear night

    7. the activity or experience of a person during a night

    8. (sometimes capital) any evening designated for a special observance or function

    9. nightfall or dusk

    10. a state or period of gloom, ignorance, etc

    11. to go out and celebrate for most of the night

    12. continually

      that baby cries night and day

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 night More Idioms

      More idioms and phrases containing night

      • black as night
      • call it a day (night)
      • dead of (night)
      • different as night and day
      • good night
      • make a day (night) of it
      • ships that pass in the night

    Usage

    What is a basic definition of night? Night refers to the time of day between sunset and sunrise. The word night can also refer to the darkness that accompanies this period or an evening reserved for a certain event. Night can also be used as an adjective to describe something that happens at night. Night has a few other senses as a noun and an adjective.Generally speaking, night doesn’t begin or end at any specific times. We usually consider it to be night when the sun has set completely and all sunlight is gone. Night ends when the sun rises and illuminates the sky again.

    • Real-life examples: In the northern hemisphere, nights are longer during the winter and shorter during the summer. Most people go to sleep at night.
    • Used in a sentence: The kids aren’t allowed outside at night because it’s too dark to see well.
    Night also refers to the darkness that falls after the sun sets.
    • Used in a sentence: To gaze at the stars, you need to let your eyes adjust to the night.
    Night can also refer to an evening where some specific event happens or has significance.
    • Real-life examples: Children go trick-or-treating on Halloween Night. A TV show might be aired every Friday night. A couple may decide to schedule a date night.
    • Used in a sentence: My mom makes us go to bed early on school nights.
    Night is also used to describe something that is related to night or happens during the night.
    • Real-life examples: Crimes often happen during the night hours. Some people work night jobs or have night shifts at work. You can see the stars in the night sky. A person who works late might have to take the night bus home.
    • Used in a sentence: I have been taking night classes because my job keeps me busy during the day.

    Other Word Forms

    • nightless adjective
    • nightlessly adverb
    • nightlike adjective

    Etymology

    Origin of night

    First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English niht, neaht; cognate with German Nacht, Gothic nahts, Latin nox (stem noct- ), Greek nýx (stem nykt- )

    Example Sentences

    Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

    The result was pitch-black neighborhoods at night and dead traffic lights at intersections.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Ten months after the most mind-boggling trade in basketball history went down in the dead of night, only one thing is unsurprising.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    “He’s supposed to just come in the night and you’re never supposed to see him.”

    From Los Angeles Times

    A boat that was left hanging over the edge of the large hole was pulled to safety on Tuesday night.

    From BBC

    “Some spent it on day one, maybe even night number one,” says Walker, 46.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Related Words

    • midnight

    Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

    Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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