night owl

American  

[nahyt oul] / ˈnaɪt ˌaʊl /

noun

Informal.

• night owls
  plural

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

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night owl British  

noun

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

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night owl Idioms  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• night owls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of night owl

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

night owl

Whereas a night owl who can easily work into the night might favour the squeeze.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Then the night owl can get out of bed and continue on with his or her evening.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026

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 ● Nov. 14, 2024

Early riser or night owl, everyone appreciates a good night's sleep.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 1, 2024

As she went deeper into the trees, she heard the call of a night owl, and an animal bounded through the undergrowth — a rabbit?

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo