tonight
Americannoun
adverb
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on this present night; on the night of this present day.
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Obsolete. during last night.
noun
adverb
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in or during the night or evening of this day
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archaic last night
Etymology
Origin of tonight
before 1000; Middle English to night, Old English tō niht. See to, night
Explanation
Tonight is the evening that happens on the current day—not last night, not tomorrow night, but tonight. If your favorite TV show is on tonight, you'd better hurry up and finish your homework so you can tune in. If your friend suggests seeing a movie tonight, she means the upcoming night, the one that immediately follows today. Prior to the 18th century, tonight was two separate words, to night, and then until the 20th century, it was hyphenated: to-night.
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.
“Well, tonight I sold my oil. R0 of 2.7 so far. On a ship. Sure. Not airborne, sure. But it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” said Campbell.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
“The MVP is, you know, 18, 22, seven of 20 tonight, and they’ve kicked our ass three straight games,” said Laker coach JJ Redick.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
“They’re experienced too. They played well tonight and we just have to match that the next game.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
WSJ: You’re meeting Beretta’s chief executive, Pietro Beretta, for dinner tonight.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
"Anyway," he continued, pointing to the almanac, "to answer your question, the next full moon is tonight."
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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.
