all-nighter

American  

[awl-nahy-ter] / ˈɔlˈnaɪ tər /

noun

Informal.

1. something that lasts, is available, or is open for business throughout the night.

   The poker game turned into an all-nighter. Are any of the grocery stores all-nighters?

2. an act of staying up all night, as to study or finish a task.

   I had to pull an all-nighter to get the paper done on time.

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all-nighter British  

/ ˌɔːlˈnaɪtə /

noun

1. an entertainment, such as a pop concert or film screening, that lasts all night

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Etymology

Origin of all-nighter

1890–95; all night + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Sharma expected the count to take an hour using bar code scanners, but they malfunctioned in the cold, forcing his team to pull an all-nighter and count manually.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

“I pulled almost an all-nighter last night, so he’s been keeping us up,” he said, exhaling a light chuckle.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2025

The all-nighter, on 8 August, is being planned by organist Anna Lapwood, who said the idea had been several years in the making.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

He pulled an all-nighter, posting updates about the wind and flames as he scoured publicly available forecast models and government data, interpreting it laymen’s terms for Altadenans.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2025

This just might be the weirdest all-nighter Autumn and I have ever pulled.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer