night owl

[nahyt oul]

noun

Informal.

1. a person who often stays up late at night; nighthawk.

night owl

noun

1. informal,  a person who is or prefers to be up and about late at night

Word History and Origins

Origin of night owl¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Idioms and Phrases

A person who habitually stays up late and is active at night, as in You can call her after midnight, for she's a night owl. This colloquial term, originally used in the late 1500s for an owl that is active at night, was transferred to nocturnal human beings in the mid-1800s.

Example Sentences

Singh was a night owl for most of her life, often staying up until the early morning hours and waking at noon.

From Los Angeles Times

The Original Pantry opened in 1924 and built its Los Angeles legacy on its 24-hour service, becoming a familiar haunt for night owls.

From Los Angeles Times

"You need to figure out who are the night owls and who are the morning larks. It is no good putting people in at the opposite end of the scale."

From BBC

Mom was the consummate night owl, accomplishing her best work well after midnight.

From Salon

The new album’s title may hint at sunshine and waking hours, but make no mistake, Yoakam is a night owl, a man for whom work begins around dusk and often stretches into dawn.

From Los Angeles Times