overnight

1 of 4

adverb

over·​night ˌō-vər-ˈnīt How to pronounce overnight (audio)
Synonyms of overnightnext
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

over·​night ˈō-vər-ˌnīt How to pronounce overnight (audio) ˌō-vər-ˈnīt How to pronounce overnight (audio)
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
At Wimbledon last year, a match restarted for just 70 seconds, as Ben Shelton beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata after officials paused their match overnight due to darkness. — Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Russia's Defense Ministry said that its forces downed 416 Ukrainian drones overnight into Thursday morning. — David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
And should the Federal Reserve raise its overnight lending rate to banks this year? — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 Since last week, attacks have come day and night, compounding the terror of overnight strikes with the exhaustion of constant daytime disruption. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
My dad was handling payroll for a small organization at the time and had to walk to the UPS on Chestnut Street to overnight some paychecks. — Laurel Dalrymple, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026 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
Activity is possible from the late afternoon through the overnight. — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 Some say Pampers are the softest diapers, while some insist Huggies are best for overnights. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overnight

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

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

Adjective

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

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

Phrases Containing overnight

Rhymes for overnight

See All Rhymes for overnight

Browse Nearby Words

overnice
overnight
overnight bag
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overnight. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on overnight

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overnight

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