nightclub
Americannoun
-
nightclubs
plural
verb (used without object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of nightclub
Explanation
A nightclub is a bar or a disco where people can dance or be entertained late into the night. There are many nightclubs in New York City, but there are no nightclubs at all in most tiny Vermont villages. Visitors to a nightclub can eat and drink; watch singers, dancers, or comedians perform; and usually also dance to live music or songs played by a DJ. You can also call a nightclub a "club" for short — the dance floor is what distinguishes it from a bar or a pub. The word nightclub sounds modern, but it dates from the late nineteenth century.
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.
See Examples For:
After a 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Parton called herself a “patron saint” of the gay community in an interview with Billboard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
It was the eve of an Ashes tour, one on which Root was without Ben Stokes because of the incident outside a Bristol nightclub.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Gen X drinks more intentionally and more consistently over the course of a night,” said Zack Bush, co-founder of Mad Room Hospitality, which operates several venues including the storied Ball & Chain nightclub in Miami.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“The center of social gravity has moved from the nightclub to the workout, the class and the calmer room.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
“A nightclub with a door in the Village, but the club isn’t in the Village.”
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
He also worked with emerging regional house music acts, helming A&R for the essential label Trax Records and booked acts like Marshall Jefferson and Adonis at globally prominent nightclubs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Martin and Lewis became the monarchs of all media, conquering radio, nightclubs, television and the silver screen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Thailand's lax approach to health and safety regulations -- particularly in its bars and nightclubs -- has long raised concerns.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
Kenyans have a taste for their own music, which plays anywhere from weddings and nightclubs, to protests and political rallies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
About two o’clock every morning, as the downtown white nightclubs closed, Reginald and I would stand around in front of this or that Hariem after-hours place, and I’d school him to what was happening.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
The ads touted the faded resort’s reputation as a nightclubbing spot - despite the fact that nightclubs are currently closed to enforce social distancing.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 29, 2020
That matters when you’re selling $25,000 custom suits to heads of state or $120,000 crocodile shirts for nightclubbing industrialists.
From New York Times ● Aug. 10, 2017
I’m sure that in his nightclubbing life in New York he was delighted to rub shoulders with prominent black athletes and so forth.
From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2016
"You need to live your life in a more mature way, stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work," Sautner said.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2012
Jack Ravenhurst went into her own room after flashing me a rather hurt smile that was supposed to indicate her disappointment in not being allowed to go nightclubbing.
From A Spaceship Named McGuire by Randall Garrett
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.
