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• good night
  good night

  interjection

  an expression of farewell used in parting at nighttime or when going to sleep.
• good-night
  good-night

  noun

  a farewell or leave-taking.

good night

¹ American  

interjection

1. an expression of farewell used in parting at nighttime or when going to sleep.

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good-night ² American  

[good-nahyt] / ˌgʊdˈnaɪt /

noun

1. a farewell or leave-taking.

   He said his good-nights before leaving the party.

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good night British  

1. a conventional expression of farewell, or, rarely, of greeting, used in the late afternoon, the evening, or at night, esp when departing to bed

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good night Idioms  

1. Expression of farewell used when parting at night or when going to sleep, as in He stood at the door, saying good night to each of the departing guests , or Mother came to tuck the children in and kiss them good night . [Late 1300s]

2. Exclamation of surprise or irritation, as in Good night, Joe!—You can't mean what you said , or Good night, Anne—it's time you learned how to throw a ball . [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of good night

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75

Example Sentences

An air traffic controller had just told the Frontier pilot they were clear for takeoff and wished them a good night.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

I agree with Gustavo that Villaraigosa had a good night, and that Steyer had Bernie energy — which may be good.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

After a good night, Berry and Cynthia would walk out with about $150 each.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

When Ann Turner’s husband asked—one too many times—if she was “going to bed already?” after she said good night at 9 p.m., she stopped giving her usual excuses, such as that she woke up early.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

I could hear him rolling over on his pile of hay, so I told him good night.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña