hour

hour — noun

1. a unit made up of sixty minutes, used for measuring how much time passes

1.nounA1
Definition

a unit made up of sixty minutes, used for measuring how much time passes

Example

The flight from Taipei to Hong Kong takes about two hours.

takes about [number] hours — travel duration pattern

Diego waited for over an hour at the bus stop this morning.

Common collocations
  • half an hour
  • an hour long
  • hour after hour
  • per hour

Grammar Patterns

[number] hour(s)

an hour

half an hour

2. used to say how much time before or after the present moment something happens,

2.nounA1
Definition

used to say how much time before or after the present moment something happens, measured in sixty-minute blocks

Example

The train leaves in an hour, so we need to hurry.

in an hour — future from now

Joshua called an hour ago to say he would be late.

an hour ago — past from now

Common collocations
  • in an hour
  • an hour ago
  • within the hour
  • an hour later

Grammar Patterns

in [number] hour(s)

[number] hour(s) ago

within an hour

Usage Note

Use 'in' (not 'after') to mean 'X hours from now'. For example, 'I will see you in an hour' means one hour from the present moment, while 'after an hour' usually refers to a past time or a point within a story.

Common Mistakes

I will see you after one hour.
I will see you in an hour.
English uses 'in' (not 'after') to mean a future time measured from now.

3. the times during the day that a shop, school, or other place welcomes visitors o

3.nounA2
Definition

the times during the day that a shop, school, or other place welcomes visitors or runs its planned services

Example

The library's opening hours are from nine in the morning to six.

opening hours — standard collocation for business times

Eleni checked the store's business hours before going shopping.

Common collocations
  • opening hours
  • business hours
  • office hours
  • visiting hours
  • working hours
Synonyms
  • opening times

    interchangeable with 'opening hours', more common in British English for retail

  • business hours

    specifically for commercial and professional settings

Grammar Patterns

opening hours

business hours

office hours

[possessive] hours

Usage Note

Often appears in the plural form 'hours' when referring to scheduled opening times. Common compounds include 'opening hours', 'business hours', 'office hours', and 'visiting hours'.

Common Mistakes

The store hours are from 9 to 6 in everyday.
The store hours are from 9 to 6 every day.
'every day' (two words), not 'in everyday'.

4. a single point within a twenty-four-hour cycle, often described with an adjectiv

4.nounB1
Definition

a single point within a twenty-four-hour cycle, often described with an adjective such as 'late', 'early', or 'odd'

Example

The car accident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning.

early hours — time of day with adjective

Yasmin does not like receiving phone calls at such a late hour.

Common collocations
  • early hours
  • late hour
  • small hours
  • lunch hour
  • all hours
Synonyms
  • time

    broader and less specific; 'hour' carries a slightly more poetic or narrative tone

  • moment

    shorter and more precise, while 'hour' can mean a longer stretch

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] hour(s)

the early hours

the small hours

at all hours

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 3 (OPENING TIMES): this sense refers to any point in the day-night cycle, whereas sense 3 specifically names scheduled operational periods. Common expressions like 'the small hours' (approximately 1–4 a.m.) and 'the witching hour' are tied to this sense.

Common Mistakes

She came home at a late hour in the night' (redundant).
She came home at a late hour.
'late hour' already implies a time late in the evening or night.

5. the number of hours a person spends working each day, or the portion of each day

5.nounB1
Definition

the number of hours a person spends working each day, or the portion of each day they devote to their job or usual activities

Example

Reuben keeps very long hours at the hospital where he works.

keeps long hours — fixed phrase for work schedule

The company allows employees to work flexible hours.

Common collocations
  • working hours
  • long hours
  • flexible hours
  • regular hours
  • keep hours
  • office hours

Grammar Patterns

keep (regular/long/strange) hours

work (long/flexible/irregular) hours

[number]-hour day/shift/week

Usage Note

Commonly paired with 'keep' (e.g., 'keep long hours', 'keep regular hours') or 'work' (e.g., 'work flexible hours'). The plural form is standard for this meaning. 'Keep late hours' specifically means going to bed very late.

Common Mistakes

He works very hour every day.
He works long hours every day.
'hours' must be plural when referring to the amount of time worked.

6. used informally to describe a very long period, especially when someone waits, s

6.nounA2
Definition

used informally to describe a very long period, especially when someone waits, searches, or does something for what feels like too long

Example

Linh waited for hours at the airport before her flight was called.

for hours — hyperbolic duration

The children played in the park for hours without getting tired.

Common collocations
  • for hours
  • hours on end
  • hours and hours
  • spent hours
Synonyms
  • ages

    equally informal and hyperbolic; 'ages' can sound even longer than 'hours'

  • an eternity

    stronger and more dramatic than 'hours'; used for emphasis in emotional contexts

Grammar Patterns

for hours

for hours on end

hours and hours

Usage Note

Always used in the plural form. This sense is informal and hyperbolic — it emphasises that the time felt long rather than stating an exact number of minutes. Do not use this sense in formal or technical writing about precise durations.

Common Mistakes

I waited for hour at the clinic.
I waited for hours at the clinic.
The plural 'hours' is required when meaning a very long time informally.

7. very early or very late times of the day or night — used when talking about some

7.nounB2
Definition

very early or very late times of the day or night — used when talking about someone who does something, makes noise, or arrives at times that most people find unsociable, especially when it happens again and again

Example

Amihan's neighbours often play loud music at all hours of the night.

phrase: at all hours of [time period]

A delivery driver on this route works at all hours, bringing packages even before sunrise.

Common collocations
  • at all hours
  • at all hours of the day and night
  • at all hours of the morning/night
Synonyms
  • unsociable hours

    more formal, often used in employment contexts (e.g. shift work)

  • early hours

    narrower — refers only to the period just after midnight

Grammar Patterns

at all hours (of the [time period])

Usage Note

Always appears in the fixed phrase 'at all hours'. Common in complaints or descriptions of repeated disturbances during unsociable time periods. Distinguish from sense 4 (A PARTICULAR TIME), which refers to a single specified time without the implication of disturbance.

Common Mistakes

The shop is open at all hours' (meaning 24/7).
The shop is open 24 hours a day.
'at all hours' specifically means unsociable hours, not 'all the time'.

8. a particular time when something very important or decisive happens, often in a

8.nounB2
Definition

a particular time when something very important or decisive happens, often in a person's life or in a historical event — used in fixed phrases such as 'someone's finest hour', 'the darkest hour', or 'the hour of need'

Example

The team's unexpected victory over the champions was their finest hour.

fixed phrase: finest hour

In her hour of need, Élise turned to her closest friends for help and comfort.

fixed phrase: hour of need

Common collocations
  • finest hour
  • darkest hour
  • hour of need
  • hour of decision
  • hour of truth
  • hour of triumph
Synonyms
  • moment

    more general, less dramatic in tone

  • time

    neutral and widely applicable

  • occasion

    slightly more formal, often used for planned events

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + [adjective] + hour

hour of [abstract noun]

Usage Note

The 'hour' in this sense is metaphorical, not a literal 60-minute period. Frequently appears in formal or literary registers. Distinguish from sense 1 (60 MINUTES), which refers to a measurable unit of time.

Common Mistakes

I waited for my finest hour at the bus stop' (trivial context).
Graduation day was my finest hour at university.
'finest hour' requires a context of real significance, not everyday events.

9. the distance from one place to another expressed in terms of how long it takes t

9.nounB1
Definition

the distance from one place to another expressed in terms of how long it takes to travel that distance, especially by a particular form of transport

Example

The nearest hospital is three hours away by car from the village.

pattern: [number] hours away by [transport]

Christopher's office is only half an hour from his apartment by bike.

Common collocations
  • hours away
  • hour's drive
  • hour's journey
  • half an hour away
  • an hour by car/bus/train
  • an hour on foot
Synonyms
  • distance

    more general, can use any unit (km, miles, time)

  • journey time

    more formal, used in travel schedules

Grammar Patterns

[number] + hour(s) + away + by/on [transport]

[number] + hour(s) + [transport] + ride/drive/journey

Usage Note

Subject is typically a location or destination. The time measurement depends on the mode of transport — specifying the form of transport (car, bus, bike, on foot) is important for clarity. Distinguish from sense 1 (60 MINUTES), which measures time itself rather than distance.

Common Mistakes

The store is one hour by walk.
The store is one hour away on foot.
Use 'away' to mark distance and 'on' (not 'by') for walking.
Idioms

all hours

idiom

Any time, especially a time that is very late or not normal.

Mia's band practices at all hours, disturbing the neighbors.

Why do you let your son stay out till all hours?

at the eleventh hour

idiom

At the last possible moment before something happens.

The team scored a goal at the eleventh hour to win.

Did you finish your report at the eleventh hour?

at an unearthly hour

idiom

Very early in the morning, often causing annoyance.

The construction work started at an unearthly hour today.

Why did you wake me at an unearthly hour?

at an ungodly hour

idiom

Very early or very late, and therefore annoying.

My neighbor's dog barked at an ungodly hour last night.

Did the phone ring at an ungodly hour this morning?

the evil hour/day

idiom

The time when you must do something difficult or unpleasant.

Tom kept postponing the evil hour of his tax appointment.

Why do you always delay the evil day of cleaning the garage?

keep… hours

idiom

To have a particular schedule for daily activities like sleeping or eating.

As a nurse, Sara keeps irregular hours and often works nights.

Do you keep regular hours for meals and sleep?

the small/early hours

idiom

The time very early in the morning, soon after midnight.

The party continued into the small hours of Sunday morning.

Did you hear the storm in the early hours?

Word family

  • hourly
    adjectiveB1
  • hourly
    adverbB1
  • hourglass
    nounB2
  • hour-long
    adjectiveB1
  • hour hand
    nounB2
  • rush hour
    nounB1
  • happy hour
    nounB1
  • man-hour
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words relate to the concept of duration, but each highlights a different aspect. 'Hour' is the most specific of the group — it refers to a precise 60-minute unit, whether measured on a clock ('a one-hour meeting') or used to count the passing of time ('three hours later'). 'Time' is the broadest term: it can mean the indefinite continuum ('time heals all wounds') or a specific point ('what time is it?'), whereas 'hour' can never refer to the abstract passage of time itself. 'Period' is more flexible in length; any duration from seconds to centuries can be a period, while an hour stays fixed at 60 minutes. 'Minute' is a smaller fixed unit (1/60 of an hour) and is the natural sibling of 'hour' when subdividing time; it can also be used hyperbolically ('I'll be there in a minute') just as 'hour' can ('I waited for hours'). 'Moment' refers to a very short, often indefinite span, closer to 'instant' than to a measured unit. In everyday use: a doctor might say 'the procedure takes about an hour' (measured unit), while 'I'll be with you in a moment' means a very short, unspecified wait — not 60 minutes.

timeperiod ↗minute ↗moment ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rush hour
  • happy hour
  • lunch hour
  • office hours
  • hour hand
  • zero hour
  • the witching hour
  • the eleventh hour

Adverbs

Phrases

  • at all hours
  • in the small hours
  • the darkest hour
  • for hours on end
  • hour after hour

Prepositions

  • by the hour
  • on the hour
  • after hours
  • within the hour

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanAncient GreekLatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'hour' traces back through Old French 'hore' or 'eure' to Latin 'hōra' (meaning hour, time, or season), which was borrowed from Ancient Greek 'hṓrā' (ὥρα) — a word meaning any limited period, season, or time of day. The Greek root itself comes from the Proto-Indo-European *yēr- / *yōr- (year, season), making 'hour' a distant relative of 'year'. The same Greek source also gives us 'horoscope' (literally 'observing the hour') and 'horology' (the science of time measurement). The modern spelling 'hour' — with an 'h' but a silent 'h' in pronunciation — reflects the influence of Latin spelling conventions on Middle English.