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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

See Examples For:

good night good-night

“While they have excellent eyesight during the day, eagles do not have good night vision.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Even if he were cogent enough to consider such a thought, he will never go gentle into that good night.

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026

Yesterday there was a house where you drank your coffee, cooked meals and kissed your children good night.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

It was a good night for episodic superhero adventure Dispatch, which was a surprise smash hit when it launched last year.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

Nat smiled, too, and told them good night.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

He played a game that was attractive to fans — big serve, closing volley, good-night Irene.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2022

They had what she described as “a city good-night kiss,” a kiss on the street before each headed in the opposite direction.

From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2020

But even when they grew up, they got a good-night hug or a welcome-home embrace after an absence.

From Slate ● May 19, 2020

“Twenty-two years ago,” he said, “I kissed my daughter and son good-night and walked out of their lives. . . . Strength is a collective, not an individual thing.”

From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2020

After a while we said good-night and left.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway