burn the midnight oil

1. To stay awake late at night to work or study: “Jill has been burning the midnight oil lately; I guess she has a big exam coming up.”

Idioms and Phrases

Stay up late working or studying, as in The semester is almost over and we're all burning the midnight oil before exams. This expression alludes to the oil in oil lamps. [Early 1600s]

Example Sentences

Trump’s White House staff would not be the first to burn the midnight oil by getting lit on the mother-of-all-uppers, that premium twitch fuel called modafinil — or its brand-name version, Provigil.

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"I believe when he talks of work, it's not limited to the company. It extends to yourself and to your country. He hasn't said work 70 hours for the company - work 40 hours for the company but work 30 hours for yourself. Invest the 10,000 hours that makes one a master in one's subject. Burn the midnight oil and become an expert in your field," he posted on X.

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Yes, Swift chose to burn the midnight oil to spill her album's secrets, night after night, in keeping with its theme — but fans didn't have to choose to stay up.

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Those familiar with Duterte say his nocturnal schedule forces those around him — from staff to the press corps — to burn the midnight oil.

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Another cup of coffee — or an early happy hour over Zoom — helps burn the midnight oil.

Read more on New York Times