The night is the part of each day when the sun has set and it is dark outside, especially the time when people are sleeping.
He didn't sleep a wink all night.
The fighting began in the late afternoon and continued all night.
Our reporter spent the night crossing the border from Austria into Slovenia.
Finally night fell.
2. countable noun
The night is the period of time between the end of the afternoon and the time that you go to bed, especially the time when you relax before going to bed.
So whose party was it last night?
Demiris took Catherine to dinner the following night.
3. countable noun
A particular night is a particular evening when a special event takes place, such as a show or a play.
The first night crowd packed the building.
...election night.
4.
See at night
5.
See at night
6.
See day and night/night and day
7.
See early night
8. morning, noon, and night
More Synonyms of night
night in British English
(naɪt)
noun
1.
the period of darkness each 24 hours between sunset and sunrise, as distinct from day
2. (modifier)
of, occurring, working, etc, at night
a night nurse
3.
the occurrence of this period considered as a unit
four nights later they left
4.
the period between sunset and retiring to bed; evening
5.
the time between bedtime and morning
she spent the night alone
6.
the weather conditions of the night
a clear night
7.
the activity or experience of a person during a night
8. (sometimes capital)
any evening designated for a special observance or function
9.
nightfall or dusk
10.
a state or period of gloom, ignorance, etc
11. make a night of it
12. night and day
▶ Related adjective: nocturnal
Derived forms
nightless (ˈnightless)
adjective
nightlike (ˈnightˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English niht; compare Dutch nacht, Latin nox, Greek nux
night in American English
(naɪt)
noun
1.
a.
the period from sunset to sunrise
b.
the period of actual darkness after sunset and before sunrise; also, a part of this period before bedtime [a night at the opera] or the part between bedtime and morning [a sleepless night]
2.
the evening following a specified day
Christmas night
3.
the darkness of night
4.
any period or condition of darkness or gloom
; specif.,
a.
a period of intellectual or moral degeneration
b.
a time of grief
c.
death
adjective
5.
of, for, or at night
6.
active, working, or in use at night
Idioms:
make a night of it
night after night
night and day
Word origin
ME niht < OE, akin to Ger nacht < IE base *nekwt-, *nokwt- > Gr nyx (gen. nyktos), L nox (gen. noctis), night
More idioms containing
night
a night owl
COBUILD Collocations
night
fun night
quiet night
sleepless night
Examples of 'night' in a sentence
night
Two of the wounded were critical last night.
The Sun (2017)
She lost a lot of people that night.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Take one before bed each night for the best results.
The Sun (2016)
The daylight faded fast and it grew dark as night.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We ended up having dinner that night and the two nights that followed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Might he wrestle back control on election night?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That failing was all too evident at times last night, especially in a fraught opening spell.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And it was roundly condemned from all quarters last night.
The Sun (2008)
Tens of thousands of people spent last night sleeping rough.
The Sun (2008)
Standard rental periods and extra night option fees apply.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
My parents listen to the radio in bed at night.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The dark night of the soul is his speciality.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Would you like to bring your beautiful wife to dinner one night?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Here at least we can go to sleep at night.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They have already waited for five months since election night.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
At night my bed and pillow are soaked with tears.
Wilkinson, Helena Beyond Chaotic Eating (1993)
It was a dark and stormy night.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We went out for dinner the other night.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She spent part of the night tending to bleeding soldiers by torch light in a fi eld tent.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Heathrow is preparing to ban night flights as part of reforms designed to boost its bid to build a third runway.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We neither of us slept last night after having completed it; and small wonder.
Claire Harman ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON (2005)
You wonder how those people slept at night for 23 years.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Normal membership conditions, standard rental periods and extra night option fees apply.
The Sun (2008)
Now get a good night's sleep.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Quotations
Night hath a thousand eyesJohn LylyMaides Metamorphose
The night has a thousand eyes, And the day but oneF.W. BourdillonLight
Night is the half of life, and the better halfJohann Wolfgang von GoetheWilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre
the huge and thoughtful nightWalt WhitmanWhen Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd
sable-vested night, eldest of thingsJohn MiltonParadise Lost
In other languages
night
British English: night /naɪt/ NOUN
The night is the part of each period of twenty-four hours when it is dark outside, especially the time when most people are sleeping.
He didn't leave the house all night.
American English: night
Arabic: لَيلٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: noite
Chinese: 夜晚
Croatian: noć
Czech: noc
Danish: nat
Dutch: nacht
European Spanish: noche
Finnish: yö
French: nuit
German: Nacht
Greek: νύχτα
Italian: notte
Japanese: 夜
Korean: 밤
Norwegian: natt
Polish: noc
European Portuguese: noite
Romanian: noapte
Russian: ночь
Latin American Spanish: noche
Swedish: natt
Thai: กลางคืน
Turkish: gece
Ukrainian: ніч
Vietnamese: đêm
Chinese translation of 'night'
night
(naɪt)
n
(c/u) (= period of darkness) 黑夜 (hēiyè) (个(個), gè)
(c) (= evening) 晚上 (wǎnshang) (个(個), gè)
at night夜间(間) (yèjiān)
from nine o'clock at night until nine in the morning从(從)晚上9点(點)到早上9点(點) (cóng wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn dào zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn)
by night夜间(間) (yèjiān)
⇒ They travelled by night to avoid detection.他们夜间赶路以免被人察觉。 (Tāmen yèjiān gǎnlù yǐmiǎn bèi rén chájué.)
in/during the night夜里(裡) (yèlǐ)
the night before last前天晚上 (qiántiān wǎnshang)
the night before (sth)前一天晚上 (qián yī tiān wǎnshang)
night and day or day and night日日夜夜 (rìrì yèyè)
night was falling夜幕降临(臨)了 (yèmù jiànglín le)
All related terms of 'night'
at night
夜间(間) yèjiān
by night
夜间(間) yèjiān ⇒ They travelled by night to avoid detection. → 他们夜间赶路以免被人察觉。 Tāmen yèjiān gǎnlù yǐmiǎn bèi rén chájué.
hen night
婚礼前新娘与女伴们的聚会
good night!
( before going home ) 再见(見)！ zàijiàn!
last night
( yesterday evening ) 昨晚 zuówǎn
night shift
( hours ) 夜班 yèbān
night-time
夜间(間) yèjiān
stag night
婚礼前新郎与男伴们的聚会
Bonfire Night
篝火之夜
night school
夜校 yèxiào [ 所 suǒ ]
all day/night
整日/夜 zhěngrì/yè
at night-time
在晚上 zài wǎnshang
by day/night
在白天/晚上 zài báitiān/wǎnshang
day and night
日日夜夜地 rìrì yèyè de
Guy Fawkes Night
篝火之夜
night was falling
夜幕降临(臨)了 yèmù jiànglín le
all day/night long
整天/夜 zhěngtiān/yè
in/during the night
夜里(裡) yèlǐ
to stay the night
过(過)夜 guòyè
the night before last
前天晚上 qiántiān wǎnshang
to be on night shift
值夜班 zhí yèbān
to do the night shift
值夜班 zhí yèbān
to go to night school
上夜校 shàng yèxiào
to have an early night
早上床 zǎo shàngchuáng
night and day or day and night
日日夜夜 rìrì yèyè
at/in the dead of night
夜深人静(靜)时(時) yèshēn rénjìng shí
in the middle of the night
在半夜 zài bànyè
the person/night in question
谈(談)及的人/夜晚 tánjí de rén/yèwǎn
to have a day/night out
外出玩一天/一晚 wàichū wán yī tiān/yī wǎn
to have a sleepless night
过(過)了个(個)不眠之夜 guòle gè bù mián zhī yè
guess what I did last night
猜猜我昨晚干(幹)什么(麼)了 cāicāi wǒ zuówǎn gàn shénme le
he lay awake all night worrying
他整晚忧(憂)心忡忡地睡不着(著)觉(覺) tā zhěngwǎn yōuxīn chōngchōng de shuì bù zháo jiào
the period of darkness that occurs each 24 hours, between sunset and sunrise
We spent the night at his house.Finally night fell.
Synonyms
darkness
They worked all evening until darkness fell.
dark
after dark
night-time
dead of night
night watches
hours of darkness
idiom
See night and day
related words
related adjectivenocturnal
related manianoctimania
related phobianyctophobia
Quotations
Night hath a thousand eyes [John Lyly – Maides Metamorphose]The night has a thousand eyes, And the day but one [F.W. Bourdillon – Light]Night is the half of life, and the better half [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre]the huge and thoughtful night [Walt Whitman – When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd]sable-vested night, eldest of things [John Milton – Paradise Lost]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of dark
Definition
night or nightfall
after dark
Synonyms
night,
twilight,
evening,
evo (Australian, slang),
dusk,
night-time,
nightfall
Synonyms of 'night'
night
Explore 'night' in the dictionary
All related terms of 'night'
late-night
late in the evening, late at night, after-hours
fly-by-night
unreliable, cowboy, dubious, questionable, shady
day and night
constantly, all the time, continually, nonstop, without stopping
night and day
constantly, all the time, continually, continuously, endlessly
morning, noon and night
all the time, always, constantly, forever, continually