midnight
MID-nyte
/ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/
Twelve o'clock at night; the middle of the night.
Represents the exact threshold moment dividing one day from the next, often invested with symbolic drama.
The story behind the word. Formed in Germanic antiquity by combining 'mid' (the middle point) and 'niht' (darkness). In ancient timekeeping, it marked the reversal point when the night turned back toward dawn.
Word relationships
- twelve o'clock: Twelve o'clock requires specifying AM/PM, whereas midnight uniquely denotes 12:00 AM.
- noon: Noon marks 12:00 PM, the middle of the day.
- midday: Midday refers to the middle of the daylight hours.
Commonly confused with
- dusk: Dusk is the period of twilight just after sunset, whereas midnight occurs hours later in pitch darkness.
Collocations
- stroke of midnight
- midnight hour
- past midnight
- midnight celebration
Idioms & expressions
- burn the midnight oil
- the witching hour
Example sentences
- "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary." Poetry (Edgar Allan Poe, 'The Raven' (1845))
- "The party guests raised their glasses right at stroke of midnight." Event Planning
Memory hook
Mid-way through the night at 12:00 AM. Middle of the night threshold.
When not to use
Do not use for late evening hours such as 9 PM or 10 PM; midnight is precisely 12:00 AM.
Fun facts
- In Scandinavian folklore, midnight was considered a magical boundary when supernatural creatures gained power.
Explore more words
nocturnal, crack of dawn, circadian, around the clock, nightlife, at the eleventh hour
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.