eve

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈēv 

1

: evening

2

: the evening or the day before a special day

3

: the period immediately preceding

Eve

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈēv 

in the Bible : the first woman, the wife of Adam, and the mother of Cain and Abel

Synonyms of eve

Noun (1)

• night
• evening
• dusk
• sunset
• twilight

Examples of eve in a Sentence

Noun (1)

from morn to eve the settlers toiled to eke a living from the harsh land

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The first public test of the county’s new department began on the eve of the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, the largest unsheltered homeless count in the nation. —Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026

Many students returning to campus from break made an effort to stop by for a moment on the eve of a new semester. —Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

Two former Google and YouTube content executives have launched Artie, a new venture that will connect creators with cash and back-office infrastructure, on the eve of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026

The film, which overcame a legal challenge on the eve of its 2024 SXSW debut, charts the story of legendary keyboardist and Grammy winner Preston who played with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Little Richard and many others. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English eve, even

Noun (2)

Old English Ēfe, from Late Latin Eva, from Hebrew Ḥawwāh

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing eve

• adam-and-eve

Rhymes for eve

• breve
• cleave
• cleeve
• cleve
• eave
• grieve
• heave
• leave
• lieve
• neve
• reeve
• sheave

Kids Definition

eve

noun

ˈēv 

1

: evening

2

: the evening or the day before a special day

New Year's Eve

3

: the period just before an important event