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• good night
  good night

  interjection

  an expression of farewell used in parting at nighttime or when going to sleep.
• good-night
  good-night

  noun

  a farewell or leave-taking.

good night

¹ American  

interjection

1. an expression of farewell used in parting at nighttime or when going to sleep.

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good-night ² American  

[good-nahyt] / ˌgʊdˈnaɪt /

noun

1. a farewell or leave-taking.

   He said his good-nights before leaving the party.

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good night British  

1. a conventional expression of farewell, or, rarely, of greeting, used in the late afternoon, the evening, or at night, esp when departing to bed

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good night Idioms  

1. Expression of farewell used when parting at night or when going to sleep, as in He stood at the door, saying good night to each of the departing guests , or Mother came to tuck the children in and kiss them good night . [Late 1300s]

2. Exclamation of surprise or irritation, as in Good night, Joe!—You can't mean what you said , or Good night, Anne—it's time you learned how to throw a ball . [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of good night

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

good night good-night

Even if he were cogent enough to consider such a thought, he will never go gentle into that good night.

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026

I agree with Gustavo that Villaraigosa had a good night, and that Steyer had Bernie energy — which may be good.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

It was a good night for episodic superhero adventure Dispatch, which was a surprise smash hit when it launched last year.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

After a good night, Berry and Cynthia would walk out with about $150 each.

From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026

She lit a small lamp in there, then said good night and went back downstairs.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

He played a game that was attractive to fans — big serve, closing volley, good-night Irene.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2022

When I pressed, he said, “We had a good-night kiss, exchanged numbers, and we’ve been joking via text ever since.”

From Washington Post ● Jun. 9, 2022

But even when they grew up, they got a good-night hug or a welcome-home embrace after an absence.

From Slate ● May 19, 2020

They shared a good-night kiss, but went their separate ways.

From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 2019

“Don’t be mad at Mom,” he said as he bent down to give me a good-night kiss.

From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio