ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nighttime

n. uncountable
A2 Elementary US //ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm// UK //nˈaɪttaɪm// night·time

n. the time when it is dark outside, between the evening and the morning. It is the period when most people sleep.

n. the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise. Often used as a modifier before another noun.


SIMPLE

The city looks beautiful at nighttime.

CONTEXTUAL

Many animals that stay hidden during the day become active during nighttime to hunt for food.

COMPLEX

The photographer specialized in capturing the eerie stillness of the industrial district during nighttime, using long exposures to draw light from the shadows.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English nyght tyme, nyȝttyme, equivalent to night + time. Compare Dutch nachttijd, German Nachtzeit, Danish nattetid, Swedish nattetid. Compare also Middle English nyȝter tyme (“nighttime”), from Old Norse náttartími, nætrtími (“nighttime”).

Usage

Often used as an attributive modifier (e.g., 'nighttime activities') or in the prepositional phrase 'at nighttime'.

Pitfall

I sleep during the night timeI sleep during the nighttimeIn modern English, 'nighttime' is typically written as a single compound word rather than two separate words.

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