one-night stand

noun

1

: a performance (as of a play or concert) given (as by a traveling group of actors or musicians) only once in each of a series of localities

2

a

: a locality used for one-night stands

b

: a stopover for a one-night stand

3

: a sexual encounter limited to a single occasion

also : a partner in such an encounter

Examples of one-night stand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The two end up drinking together, and the next morning, Rebecca wakes up in his bed, regretful of the one-night stand. —Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025

Burnet plays Charlie, an M-Tex geologist who had a one-night stand with Rebecca (Kayla Wallace) after a traumatic (and drunken) plane ride. —William Earl, Variety, 21 Dec. 2025

The idea of swiping to find the love of your life (or a one-night stand) on your mobile phone seemed alien. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025

But what starts as an embarrassing one-night stand soon turns into something much more unexpected. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for one-night stand

• analysand
• misunderstand
• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand