overnight
Americanadverb
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for or during the night.
to stay overnight.
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on or during the previous evening.
Preparations were made overnight.
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very quickly; suddenly.
New suburbs sprang up overnight.
adjective
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done, made, occurring, or continuing during the night.
an overnight stop; an overnight decision.
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staying for one night.
a group of overnight guests.
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designed to be used on a trip or for a journey lasting one night or only a few nights. night.
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intended for delivery on the next day.
overnight letters; an overnight package.
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valid for one night.
The corporal got an overnight pass.
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occurring suddenly or within a very short time.
a comedian who became an overnight sensation.
noun
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Informal. an overnight stay or trip.
Our daughter had an overnight at a friend's house.
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Informal. a permit for overnight absence, as from a college dormitory.
She had an overnight the night of the prom.
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the previous evening.
verb (used without object)
adverb
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for the duration of the night
we stopped overnight
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in or as if in the course of one night; suddenly
the situation changed overnight
adjective
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done in, occurring in, or lasting the night
an overnight stop
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staying for one night
overnight guests
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lasting one night
an overnight trip
an overnight bank loan
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for use during a single night
overnight clothes
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occurring in or as if in the course of one night; sudden
an overnight victory
verb
Etymology
Origin of overnight
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.
No matter how quickly operators expand service areas or how fast new vehicles roll off the line, the infrastructure behind autonomy cannot be built overnight.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
It begins, as many great soups do, with patience: garbanzo beans soaked overnight, then simmered until tender.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
With the office closed, she said she was held overnight for eight hours, without food or drink, with her luggage confiscated and only left with her phone.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Oil prices surged overnight which initially sent stocks tumbling to their lows.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
That’s clear from the sheer volume of messages they sent overnight.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
