tonight
Americannoun
adverb
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on this present night; on the night of this present day.
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Obsolete. during last night.
noun
adverb
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in or during the night or evening of this day
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archaic last night
Etymology
Origin of tonight
before 1000; Middle English to night, Old English tō niht. See to, night
Explanation
Tonight is the evening that happens on the current day—not last night, not tomorrow night, but tonight. If your favorite TV show is on tonight, you'd better hurry up and finish your homework so you can tune in. If your friend suggests seeing a movie tonight, she means the upcoming night, the one that immediately follows today. Prior to the 18th century, tonight was two separate words, to night, and then until the 20th century, it was hyphenated: to-night.
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.
“We Mexicans always get beat down, but we have pride. Tonight, you see how we stand up when we need to.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
She told BBC North West Tonight: "I just love doing it."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
She told BBC North West Tonight "the fact that they are doing this is fantastic".
From BBC • May 31, 2026
“Nothing is forever, especially in television,” said former network executive Ted Harbert, who oversaw the launches of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” at NBC.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
Tonight, he’s telling us all about this girl named Abby in his class, who slipped a handwritten valentine into his cubby.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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.
