overnight

1 of 4

adverb

over·​night ˌō-vər-ˈnīt How to pronounce overnight (audio)
1
a
: on the evening before
b
: during the night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight

overnight

2 of 4

adjective

over·​night ˌō-vər-ˈnīt How to pronounce overnight (audio)
1
: of, lasting, or staying the night
2
: sudden, rapid
an overnight sensation
3
: traveling during the night
an overnight train
4
a
: accomplished by a mail service within one day's time
overnight delivery
b
: delivered within one day's time
overnight mail

overnight

3 of 4

verb

overnighted; overnighting; overnights

intransitive verb

: to stay overnight

transitive verb

: to send (something, such as a package or letter) by a mail service for delivery within one day's time

overnight

4 of 4

noun

over·​night ˈō-vər-ˌnīt How to pronounce overnight (audio)
: an overnight stay

Examples of overnight in a Sentence

Adverb He stayed overnight and went home the next day. Let the paint dry overnight. The novel made her famous overnight. Adjective They went on an overnight bus trip. Overnight guests are not allowed in the dormitory. The show was an overnight success.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
Showers were forecast to move into the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic on Sunday evening and overnight. Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024 Park outside after charging. Do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
By the weekend, the overnight temperatures in most of the region will dip into the 30s. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 Throngs of college students joined the overnight ride, the latest trend involving young Chinese traveling on the cheap. Peter Guo, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
Verb
My bank promised to overnight a new card to my address but then sent it to the wrong address – my U.S. residence instead of my Swiss address. Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2024 Star Legend will sail 16 week-long cruises between Rome and Barcelona, visiting Florence and Pisa in Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco (where the ship will overnight); and Marseille, France. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
Noun
Each weekday morning, The Hollywood Reporter would write up the Nielsen overnights and try to find the most interesting story within the data, and this kind of coverage was a popular feature across all the industry trade press. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024 Disclaimer Is a Flaccid, Pretentious Slog Alfonso Cuarón’s first episodic outing takes all the wrong lessons from prestige TV. overnights 10:00 a.m. Disclaimer Recap: Tossing the Grenades Stephen dismantles Catherine’s life, blowing it up one relationship at a time. Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overnight 

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overnight was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near overnight

Cite this Entry

“Overnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overnight. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

overnight

1 of 2 adverb
over·​night ˌō-vər-ˈnīt How to pronounce overnight (audio)
1
: on or during the evening or night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight

overnight

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, lasting, or staying the night
overnight trip
an overnight guest
2
: sudden sense 1
overnight stardom
3
: traveling during the night
an overnight train
4
: delivered within one day's time
overnight mail
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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