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
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.
Noun
Curious about what wine goes best with tonight’s dinner? Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025 Johnson had pushed ahead with tonight's vote on the blueprint but came up against a group of House GOP conservatives who are demanding steep spending cuts. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025 More inspired by than based on, more fan fiction or parody than homage, the production opening tonight at the Imperial Theatre is more oddity than anything else. Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025 If and when tariffs go into effect tonight, the rate on most Chinese imports will be 104%. Pete Gannon, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tonight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonight. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on tonight

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!