midnight

[mid-nahyt]

noun

1. the middle of the night; twelve o'clock at night.

adjective

1. of or relating to midnight.

2. resembling midnight, as in darkness.

midnight

/ ˈmɪdˌnaɪt /

noun

1. 1. the middle of the night; 12 o'clock at night

   2. ( as modifier )

      the midnight hour

2. to work or study late into the night

Other Word Forms

• midnightly adjective
• postmidnight adjective
• premidnight noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of midnight¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English midniht. See mid-, night

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. burn the midnight oil, to study or work far into the night.

   After months of burning the midnight oil, he really needed a vacation.

Example Sentences

Around midnight, the Fire Department issued a shelter-in-place order on its website and on social media.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Goodwin stayed at his post on the Lower East Side until midnight on Nov. 9, spending about 17 hours working with guests who were desperate to find a place to stay.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He traded options late until midnight as he raced to capitalize on the turmoil, taking only a short break to play the sport padel while keeping an eye on his phone.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They surrender their phones when they arrive in the studio early in the afternoon and don’t get them back until they leave, often after midnight.

Read more on Salon

There were sometimes calls at midnight, 2 a.m.,

Read more on The Wall Street Journal