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
Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Flash flooding, tornadoes, widespread outages remain major concerns for Arkansas
Much of Arkansas remains at risk of severe weather Saturday after flash flooding, severe storms and a tornado moved through the state overnight Friday into early Saturday.
—Amir Mahmoud, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2025
Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 6 Apr. 2025
At the same time crews were battling the blaze, overnight storms intensified, bringing heavy rains and wind along with lightning, officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2025
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
Mary Gilbert, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
The son very frequently asks her to provide child care for overnights and weekends.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overnight
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
Start Small to Build Momentum Change doesn't demand sweeping transformation overnight.
—Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Flash flooding, tornadoes, widespread outages remain major concerns for Arkansas
Much of Arkansas remains at risk of severe weather Saturday after flash flooding, severe storms and a tornado moved through the state overnight Friday into early Saturday.
—Amir Mahmoud, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
No gatekeeping here: Below, our editors share their all-time favorite overnight masks for bright, bouncy skin by morning.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 6 Apr. 2025
At the same time crews were battling the blaze, overnight storms intensified, bringing heavy rains and wind along with lightning, officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2025
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
Additional thunderstorms — some severe — will form Wednesday afternoon in parts of the Midwest, stretch through Tennessee and into parts of Mississippi and Alabama into the overnight.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
The son very frequently asks her to provide child care for overnights and weekends.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overnight
Cite this Entry
“Overnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overnight. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share