tonight

1 of 2

adverb

to·​night tə-ˈnīt How to pronounce tonight (audio)
: on this present night or the night following this present day
will do it tonight

tonight

2 of 2

noun

: the present night or the night following this present day

Examples of tonight in a Sentence

Adverb This afternoon I'm busy, but tonight I'm free. Noun Tonight's party should be fun. He is staying until tonight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Tropical Depression Two is forecast to become a tropical storm tonight or Monday, at which point it will be called Tropical Storm Bertha. — Meteorologist Melissa Nord, CNN Money, 19 July 2026 The family deciding what to put on the table tonight does not, and there is no defensible reason for that. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 19 July 2026 He was getting fired up in the second and third inning tonight. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026 How to spot Perseid shooting stars Perseid meteors can be spotted anytime after dark from tonight onwards, streaking away from a patch of sky, or radiant, located close to the red supergiant star Eta Persei in the constellation Perseus. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tonight

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tonight was before the 12th century

Rhymes for tonight

See All Rhymes for tonight

Browse Nearby Words

tonify
tonight
Tonikan
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tonight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonight. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tonight

1 of 2 adverb
to·​night tə-ˈnīt How to pronounce tonight (audio)
: on this present night or the night following this present day

tonight

2 of 2 noun
: the present or the coming night

More from Merriam-Webster on tonight

Nglish: Translation of tonight for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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