over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt 
1
a
: on the evening before
b
: during the night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight
over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
over·night
ˈō-vər-ˌnīt
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
overnighted; overnighting; overnights
: to stay overnight
: to send (something, such as a package or letter) by a mail service for delivery within one day's time
over·night
ˈō-vər-ˌnīt
: 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
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
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
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
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 
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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
Dictionary Entries Near overnight
Cite this Entry
“Overnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overnight. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overnight
1 of 2 adverb
over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
1
: on or during the evening or night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight
overnight
2 of 2 adjective1
: 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
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