# night owl

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/night-owl
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

One who goes to bed late, or stays up late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

## Examples

- My roommate is a night owl who never sleeps before midnight.
- Being a night owl, she does her best work after everyone else has gone to bed.
- The novelist, a lifelong night owl, would write until dawn broke over the silent city streets.

## Origin

From night and owl, a compound referencing the nocturnal activity of the bird.

---

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.