# noon

/ˈnun/ (US) · /nˈuːn/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 2. highest point

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

the highest or most successful point of something.

For teachers: the highest point, culmination, or peak of a period or career.

- The empire reached its noon during the eighteenth century.
- The poet was in the noon of his fame when he suddenly decided to stop publishing and live in isolation.

Usage: often used with 'of' to describe a period of time or a career

### 3. midnight

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

an old word for the middle of the night.

For teachers: the middle of the night; midnight. This sense is no longer used in modern English.

- The clock struck the hour of noon in the dark, silent house.
- In the ancient poem, the ghosts were said to walk abroad at the stroke of noon, meaning the dead of night.

Teaching tip: This sense is strictly for reading historical literature; using it in modern speech will cause total confusion.

### 4. to rest at midday

verb · CEFR C1 · Dialect · Archaic

to take a rest or a nap during the middle of the day.

For teachers: to rest or take a midday meal or nap. Intransitive; primarily used in rural or historical contexts.

- The workers decided to noon under the shade of the large oak tree.
- The cattle were left to noon in the valley while the herders prepared their own lunch by the stream.

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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.