night owl

noun

Synonyms of night owlnext
: a person who keeps late hours at night

Synonyms of night owl

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Examples of night owl in a Sentence

a night owl whose spouse is more of an early bird
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.
Shift workers, night owls or anyone running late schedules may feel better with a midday or early afternoon session that matches their own rhythm. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 Scientists are starting to uncover the links between being a night owl and some neuropsychiatric conditions. — Ariana Eunjung Cha, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 That’s why the Timeshifter jet lag app asks for your age, your usual sleep times, your caffeine and melatonin habits, and your chronotype—early bird, night owl, or neither. — Jd Shadel, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026 Quarterfinal Tuesday brought another somewhat nightmarish scenario for everyone except the true night owls. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for night owl

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of night owl was in 1594

Rhymes for night owl

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Browse Nearby Words

night out
night owl
night parrot
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Cite this Entry

“Night owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/night%20owl. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

night owl

noun
: a person who usually stays up late at night
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