midnight

noun

mid·​night ˈmid-ˌnīt 

1

: the middle of the night

specifically : 12 o'clock at night

2

: deep or extended darkness or gloom

midnight adjective

midnightly adverb or adjective

Examples of midnight in a Sentence

Her parents wanted her home before midnight.

It was 12 midnight when we arrived home.

Recent Examples on the Web

The next puzzle will be available at midnight in your time zone. —Mark Cooper, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2025

None of it mattered to the Trinity High School football team, which dominated from start to finish and might need a midnight kickoff on Mars to be denied a third straight state championship. —Rich Barak, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Nov. 2025

Queen Camilla arrived at the Biennial Rifles Awards Dinner on Thursday in London wearing a red velvet gown by Fiona Clare with a midnight Daqlah layered over it. —Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 28 Nov. 2025

There is a slight chance that some light snow, sleet, and freezing rain will break out west and northwest of Baltimore after midnight. —Cutter Martin, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing midnight

• burn the midnight oil
• midnight blue
• midnight sun
• the midnight hour

Rhymes for midnight

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

midnight

noun

mid·​night ˈmid-ˌnīt 

: 12 o'clock at night

midnight adjective