night owl

noun

: a person who keeps late hours at night

Examples of night owl in a Sentence

a night owl whose spouse is more of an early bird
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.
Early birds tend to get more good-quality shuteye than night owls—who doze off later at night but probably still have to wake up relatively early due to typical work schedules, Dr. Dashti notes. Erica Sloan, SELF, 4 Sep. 2025 The night owl hours aren’t new. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2025 But the peak, with the brightest and most meteors, is expected between Aug. 12 and 13 during pre-dawn hours, NASA said More of a night owl than an early bird? Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Aug. 2025 Lucas Giolito will tell you he’s always been a night owl. Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for night owl

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of night owl was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Night owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/night%20owl. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

night owl

noun
: a person who usually stays up late at night

More from Merriam-Webster on night owl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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