What does "overnight" mean?

1. (during the night) happening during the night or until the next morning. 2. (suddenly) happening very quickly or suddenly. 3. (lasting one night) lasting for or used during one night. 4. (to stay the night) to stay somewhere for the night. 5. (to send for next-day delivery) to send a letter or package so it arrives the next day. 6. (TV ratings) the number of people who watched a TV show, reported the next morning.

How do you use "overnight"?

Usually placed after the verb or at the end of the clause. Transitive verb taking a direct object. Almost always used in the plural form.

overnight

adv. · adj. · v. · n.

US //ˈoʊvɝˈnaɪt// overnight

1 during the night (adv.)
B1 Intermediate

happening during the night or until the next morning.

occurring throughout the course of a single night.

Example

We decided to travel overnight to avoid the heavy daytime traffic.

Example

The snow fell steadily overnight, leaving the entire valley blanketed in a thick layer of white by dawn.

Usage

Usually placed after the verb or at the end of the clause.
- nightly
2 suddenly (adv.)
B1 Intermediate

happening very quickly or suddenly.

occurring with extreme rapidity or suddenness, often metaphorically.

Example

The young singer became a star overnight after her video went viral.

Example

The sleepy fishing village was transformed overnight into a bustling tourist hub following the completion of the new coastal highway.
- instantly
- suddenly
- gradually

Show 4 more sensesShow fewer

3 lasting one night (adj.)
B1 Intermediate

lasting for or used during one night.

intended for use during a night or lasting for the duration of a night.

Example

I packed a small overnight bag for my trip to the city.

Example

The hospital offers overnight stays for patients who require observation after minor surgical procedures.
- one night
4 to stay the night (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

to stay somewhere for the night.

to spend the night at a particular location; intransitive use.

Example

We can overnight at my cousin's house if the weather gets too bad to drive.

Example

The hikers decided to overnight in a small mountain hut rather than risk a descent in the fading light.
- stay
- lodge
5 to send for next-day delivery (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate American English

to send a letter or package so it arrives the next day.

to dispatch a parcel or document via a courier service for next-day delivery.

Example

I need to overnight these documents to the head office so they arrive by tomorrow.

Example

The legal team had to overnight the signed contracts to ensure the merger was finalised before the weekend deadline.

Usage

Transitive verb taking a direct object.
- express
- rush
6 TV ratings (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Television

the number of people who watched a TV show, reported the next morning.

preliminary viewership figures for a television programme, typically released the morning following the broadcast.

Example

The show's overnights were much higher than the producers expected.

Example

Despite a strong marketing campaign, the overnights suggested that the new sitcom failed to capture the target demographic.

Usage

Almost always used in the plural form.
- ratings

Origin

Inherited from Middle English overnyght, from Old English ofer niht (“through the night, overnight”), equivalent to over + night. Verbal use (late 19th c.) may have been influenced by German übernachten (16th c.), though it could also have developed independently. Compare also Dutch overnachten (“to overnight”), Middle Low German ȫvernachten (“to overnight”), West Frisian oernachtsje (“to overnight”), Saterland Frisian uurnoachtje (“to overnight”).