# midnight

/ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/ (US) · /mˈɪdnaɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/midnight
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Senses

### 1. 12:00 at night

noun · CEFR A1

exactly 12:00 at night, when one day ends and the next begins.

For teachers: the point in time at which one day ends and the next begins, fixed at 24:00.

- The party didn't finish until after midnight, so we were very tired.
- The deadline for the scholarship application is midnight on Tuesday, so ensure your documents are uploaded before the system locks.

Usage: usually used with the preposition 'at'

### 2. the middle of the night

noun · CEFR B1

the darkest part of the night, between evening and morning.

For teachers: the period of maximum darkness or the middle portion of the night, often used relationally rather than as a precise clock time.

- He woke up in the middle of the midnight and couldn't fall back asleep.
- The forest was silent in the deep midnight, with only the occasional rustle of leaves breaking the stillness.

Teaching tip: While sense 1 is a precise point in time, this sense refers to the general period of deep night.

### 3. very dark

adjective · CEFR B2 · Literary

describing a very dark blue or black colour.

For teachers: denoting a color of intense darkness, typically a very deep blue or black.

- She wore a beautiful midnight blue dress to the wedding.
- The car was painted a sleek midnight black that shimmered under the streetlights of the city.

Usage: usually placed before the noun it describes

Teaching tip: Commonly found in fashion or literature to describe 'midnight blue' or 'midnight black'.

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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.