night shift

American  

[nahyt shift] / ˈnaɪt ˌʃɪft /

noun

• night shifts
  plural

1. the workforce, as of a factory, scheduled to work during the nighttime.

2. the scheduled period of labor for this workforce.

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night shift British  

noun

1. a group of workers who work a shift during the night in an industry or occupation where a day shift or a back shift is also worked

2. the period worked

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• night shifts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of night shift

First recorded in 1700–10

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Compare meaning

How does night-shift compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• day shift vs. night shift

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

night shift

Last week, Prudencio Rivera, 31, was driving home from a night shift at a poultry farm when he noticed a truck with Texas plates following him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Cheryl Pepper, a carer who visited after finishing a night shift, described the supermarket as "absolutely brilliant".

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

That leaves bosses such as Audi racing director Allan McNish working the night shift.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

At that time, he also worked the night shift at a grocery store for two-and-a-half years, earning $12.50 an hour at first and then working his way up to $20.50 an hour.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

There was slightly better food—at midday, a bowl of real soup, perhaps a slice of vegetable, and at the end of the night shift, bread with oleo.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

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