over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt 
1
a
: on the evening before
b
: during the night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight
over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
over·night
ˈō-vər-ˌnīt
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
overnighted; overnighting; overnights
: to stay overnight
: to send (something, such as a package or letter) by a mail service for delivery within one day's time
over·night
ˈō-vər-ˌnīt
: an overnight stay
Examples of overnight in a Sentence
Adverb
He stayed overnight and went home the next day.
Let the paint dry overnight.
The novel made her famous overnight.
Adjective
They went on an overnight bus trip.
Overnight guests are not allowed in the dormitory.
The show was an overnight success.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2024
In neighboring Austria, heavy rainfall has caused water levels to rise in several rivers, leading to rescue services being called out to parts of the country overnight.
—Emmanuel Miculita, Sophie Tanno and Radina Gigova, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024
Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2024
Under its new cold weather shelter plan, Denver will provide around-the-clock emergency shelter when there is a forecasted overnight low temperature of 25 degrees or 2 inches of snow accumulation.
—John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2024
Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
This video is showing Covariant’s robotic picking system operating (for over an hour at 10x speed) in a warehouse that handles logistics for a company called Obeta, which overnights orders of electrical supplies to electricians in Germany.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2020
Staff and Wire Reports, Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2024
Finding child care to cover the overnights Mazda Toyota assembly worker Sadie Storey discovered how valuable the service can be last year, when her team moved to rotating shifts.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 10 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for overnight 
Adverb
Below, find Vogue’s edit of the best pimple patches to wear day or overnight to clear up blemishes anywhere on the body.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2024
In neighboring Austria, heavy rainfall has caused water levels to rise in several rivers, leading to rescue services being called out to parts of the country overnight.
—Emmanuel Miculita, Sophie Tanno and Radina Gigova, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024
Adjective
The overnight freeze that nearly killed the orchards that once sustained the place – apple, pear, apricot – and woke up residents with a shattering of branches.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2024
Under its new cold weather shelter plan, Denver will provide around-the-clock emergency shelter when there is a forecasted overnight low temperature of 25 degrees or 2 inches of snow accumulation.
—John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2024
Verb
Star Legend will sail 16 week-long cruises between Rome and Barcelona, visiting Florence and Pisa in Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco (where the ship will overnight); and Marseille, France.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
This video is showing Covariant’s robotic picking system operating (for over an hour at 10x speed) in a warehouse that handles logistics for a company called Obeta, which overnights orders of electrical supplies to electricians in Germany.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2020
Noun
Southwest said that its first overnight, redeye flights will land on Feb. 14, 2025 in nonstop markets that include Las Vegas to Orlando and Baltimore; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore.
—Staff and Wire Reports, Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2024
Finding child care to cover the overnights Mazda Toyota assembly worker Sadie Storey discovered how valuable the service can be last year, when her team moved to rotating shifts.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 10 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for overnight
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overnight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overnight
Cite this Entry
“Overnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overnight. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overnight
1 of 2 adverb
over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
1
: on or during the evening or night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight
overnight
2 of 2 adjective1
: of, lasting, or staying the night
overnight trip
an overnight guest
2
: sudden sense 1
overnight stardom
3
: traveling during the night
an overnight train
4
: delivered within one day's time
overnight mail
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