Word
overnight
/ˈoʊvɝˈnaɪt/
Definitions
01during the night
B1 · Intermediate
adv. happening during the night or until the next morning.
adv. occurring throughout the course of a single night.
日本語:一晩※
“We decided to travel overnight to avoid the heavy daytime traffic.”
“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.
Synonyms
02suddenly
B1 · Intermediate
adv. happening very quickly or suddenly.
adv. occurring with extreme rapidity or suddenness, often metaphorically.
日本語:一躍※
“The young singer became a star overnight after her video went viral.”
“The sleepy fishing village was transformed overnight into a bustling tourist hub following the completion of the new coastal highway.”
Antonyms
03lasting one night
B1 · Intermediate
adj. lasting for or used during one night.
adj. intended for use during a night or lasting for the duration of a night.
日本語:一晩※
Español:nocturno
“I packed a small overnight bag for my trip to the city.”
“The hospital offers overnight stays for patients who require observation after minor surgical procedures.”
Synonyms
04to stay the night
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
v. to stay somewhere for the night.
v. to spend the night at a particular location; intransitive use.
“We can overnight at my cousin's house if the weather gets too bad to drive.”
“The hikers decided to overnight in a small mountain hut rather than risk a descent in the fading light.”
05to send for next-day delivery
B2 · Upper Intermediate American English
v. to send a letter or package so it arrives the next day.
v. to dispatch a parcel or document via a courier service for next-day delivery.
“I need to overnight these documents to the head office so they arrive by tomorrow.”
“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.
06TV ratings
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Television Technical
n. the number of people who watched a TV show, reported the next morning.
n. preliminary viewership figures for a television programme, typically released the morning following the broadcast.
“The show's overnights were much higher than the producers expected.”
“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.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Thousands more people were stuck overnight at the Narita airport serving the Tokyo region, with trains out of the area stopped.” “Some of the women were reported to have stayed overnight, raising security concerns.” “She also froze a big bottle of water overnight that she took to work the next day.” “Do this when the air temperature outside is cooler than inside, which tends to be overnight or in the early part of the day.” Etymology
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/overnight
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0