# burn the midnight oil

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/burn-the-midnight-oil
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To work studiously, especially late into the night.

## Examples

- She burned the midnight oil to finish the essay.
- I often burn the midnight oil when I write my new book.
- Do you burn the midnight oil to study for your driving test?
- With the deadline tomorrow, the whole team is burning the midnight oil at the office.
- My brother had to burn the midnight oil to prepare his presentation for the big meeting on Monday morning.
- The lawyers are burning the midnight oil to review all the legal documents before the trial starts next week.
- The young parents often burn the midnight oil to catch up on household chores while their newborn baby is finally sleeping soundly.
- For weeks before the final exams, the students burned the midnight oil, fuelled by coffee and the fear of failing.

## Origin

The collocation *midnight oil* appears in its literal sense from the mid-17th century, referring to the practice of burning lamp oil to provide light for night-time activities. The phrase preserves the era of the oil lamp, when extending one’s labor beyond the natural light of day required a measurable consumption of fuel.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.