all hours

Idioms

Irregular times, as in You can't come home at all hours and expect your supper to be ready. The expression can also mean “late at night,” as in College students like to stay up talking until all hours. It is sometimes amplified into all hours of the day and night. [c. 1930]

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.

If Evy is virtually alone in a house where strange noises are occurring at all hours, what would possess her to put on noise-canceling headphones, other than a death wish?

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Centerview in court filings has argued that being available at all hours and working unpredictably during an active deal is a basic requirement of the investment banking analyst job.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

The answer, he added, is "with a source like nuclear, that is not producing CO2, that is producing all hours of the year".

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2025

There are some markets in the U.S. where investors can already trade at all hours.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 13, 2025

Gael could talk through the night about all kinds of random ridiculous facts, while Juan spent his days crafting a careful casualness and practicing guitar at all hours.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

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