nightly
Americanadjective
adjective
-
happening or relating to each night
-
happening at night
adverb
Etymology
Origin of nightly
before 900; Middle English; Old English nihtlīc. See night, -ly
Explanation
Nightly things happen on a regular basis, every single night. Your nightly exercise routine and sponge bath are good examples of this. You can use nightly as an adjective or adverb, to describe something that occurs every night. The sun sets nightly, and most people eat dinner nightly and climb into bed nightly. Your exercise regimen might include nightly sit ups, and your dog may require nightly walks around the block. The Old English root of nightly is niht, which means both "night" and "darkness."
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.
Through more than four years of the Russian invasion, 27-year-old Oleksiy Virskovsky largely hasn't bothered going to the underground shelter in the building next door -- despite almost nightly missile and drone attacks.
From Barron's • Jul. 9, 2026
The pink migratory birds became the symbol of Albania's nightly rallies because they flock to Narta Lagoon, a protected area near the coastal city of Vlora.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
But by the time the bicentennial rolled around, my life had played out against the backdrop of civil unrest and the Vietnam War, both spilling from our black-and-white television almost nightly.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
Although the fencing and construction vehicles vanished after the clashes, protests have swelled into nightly gatherings of thousands, despite assurances from Rama that the development has yet to be approved.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
When Jaden came by for his nightly room check we closed our eyes up quick like we were already passed out.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
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.
