overnight
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adv.happening during the night or until the next morning.
adv.occurring throughout the course of a single night.
Simple“We decided to travel overnight to avoid the heavy daytime traffic.”
In context“The snow fell steadily overnight, leaving the entire valley blanketed in a thick layer of white by dawn.”
UsageUsually placed after the verb or at the end of the clause.
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
adv.happening very quickly or suddenly.
adv.occurring with extreme rapidity or suddenness, often metaphorically.
Simple“The young singer became a star overnight after her video went viral.”
In context“The sleepy fishing village was transformed overnight into a bustling tourist hub following the completion of the new coastal highway.”
- 03 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.
Simple“I packed a small overnight bag for my trip to the city.”
In context“The hospital offers overnight stays for patients who require observation after minor surgical procedures.”
Synonymsone night - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to stay somewhere for the night.
v.to spend the night at a particular location; intransitive use.
Simple“We can overnight at my cousin's house if the weather gets too bad to drive.”
In context“The hikers decided to overnight in a small mountain hut rather than risk a descent in the fading light.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“I need to overnight these documents to the head office so they arrive by tomorrow.”
In context“The legal team had to overnight the signed contracts to ensure the merger was finalised before the weekend deadline.”
UsageTransitive verb taking a direct object.
- 06 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The show's overnights were much higher than the producers expected.”
In context“Despite a strong marketing campaign, the overnights suggested that the new sitcom failed to capture the target demographic.”
UsageAlmost always used in the plural form.
Synonyms
“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.”
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.