graveyard shift

American  

noun

1. a work shift usually beginning at about midnight and continuing for about eight hours through the early morning hours.

2. those who work this shift.

---

graveyard shift British  

noun

1. the working shift between midnight and morning

---

Etymology

Origin of graveyard shift

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example Sentences

"We are ghosts on the night shift," says Leandro Cristovao from Angola, who has worked the graveyard shift at a south London market for seven years.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

Long-time evening anchor Wolf Blitzer was also asked to move to the mornings and, in a certain light, Acosta's potential bump to the graveyard shift can be seen as an accommodation of that.

From Salon • Jan. 17, 2025

I also hadn’t done my hearing any favors by working the graveyard shift at a nightclub during college—eight uninterrupted hours at a stretch of noise exposure that vastly exceeded safe levels.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2024

A 28-year department veteran, Fortney worked the graveyard shift as a patrol sergeant and served as president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association before ascending to sheriff.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2023

“Ah most always work from six t’ midnight, but I was coverin’ the graveyard shift.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green