tonight

1 of 2

adverb

to·​night tə-ˈnīt How to pronounce tonight (audio)
: on this present night or the night following this present day
will do it tonight

tonight

2 of 2

noun

: the present night or the night following this present day

Examples of tonight in a Sentence

Adverb This afternoon I'm busy, but tonight I'm free. Noun Tonight's party should be fun. He is staying until tonight.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Will tonight cement the Bass-Raman trilogy as an electoral classic — or end it on a deflating note? — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 With the Brewers up 2-0, if Milwaukee wins tonight, the Dodgers will face elimination tomorrow. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Mourinho has also switched between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations lately, and here's the XI that could face Roma tonight. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026 What will happen tonight as Los Angeles looks to make this a series against pesky Milwaukee. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tonight

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tonight was before the 12th century

Rhymes for tonight

See All Rhymes for tonight

Browse Nearby Words

tonify
tonight
Tonikan
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tonight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonight. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tonight

1 of 2 adverb
to·​night tə-ˈnīt How to pronounce tonight (audio)
: on this present night or the night following this present day

tonight

2 of 2 noun
: the present or the coming night
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