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

see also:

burn the midnight oil

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

In the Peloponnese town of Leonidio, the midnight Resurrection service is the moment to be there, as illuminated paper balloons rise from parishes across town. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

At midnight Wednesday, four vector control trucks were scheduled to hit the streets in Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Garden Grove to spray a pesticide aimed at killing adult mosquitoes with West Nile virus. — Michele Gile, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

What kind of teenager isn’t playing video games, cracking open bottles of Sparkling Apple Cider or sleeping at midnight on New Year’s Eve? — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Luckily, the bar at Le Flâneur stays open until midnight Thursday through Saturday with a late-night food menu, complete with a Cheeseburger À L’Américaine for $15 that pairs well with a side of people-watching. — Colleen McNally Arnett, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2026

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