night shift
Americannoun
-
the workforce, as of a factory, scheduled to work during the nighttime.
-
the scheduled period of labor for this workforce.
noun
-
a group of workers who work a shift during the night in an industry or occupation where a day shift or a back shift is also worked
-
the period worked
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of night shift
First recorded in 1700–10
Compare meaning
How does night-shift compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"They get very anxious because they can't sleep long after a night shift," says Moen.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
It worked on Raycer Martin, a 19-year-old student and wine-bar chef from Arizona who plays videogames to relax after his night shift.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
However, the same effect was not seen during the subsequent night shift.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026
"Two days ago, I was walking home early in the morning after my night shift when I heard loud booms," she said.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
I go to work the next day and beg Herr Braun to switch me to the night shift.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
