nightclub
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
“It feels like a nightclub in here where everyone is battling for the biggest bottle,” said art-market economist Magnus Resch, as he mingled with collector Eugenio Lopez and art adviser Evan Beard.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Standing “square in the doorway like a nightclub bouncer,” Lindsay’s sister-in-law says, “I’m sorry we haven’t got space for you to stay here long term.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Additional videos, taken by bystanders, showed Peters being carried out of the nightclub.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Sokol recounts the dizzying story of meeting her husband at a wedding in Moscow, which begins with her husband attending a nightclub in Dubai.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
“No, he’s dead. There’s no trial. We’ve all talked about suing. We’ll probably sue the nightclub, maybe the police.”
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
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.
