morning

1.exclamationA1

Definition

a polite word you say when you meet someone for the first time in the early part of the day

Example

Good morning, Mrs. Chen. How are you feeling today?

formal greeting: good morning + title (Mrs.)

Morning, Kian! I hope you slept well last night.

Synonyms

good morning
the full, slightly more formal version of the greeting

Common Mistakes

Good morning' is for greeting only — learners sometimes say it when leaving.

Use 'goodbye' or 'have a nice day' when parting.

'Good morning' is only used when you meet someone, not when you leave.

1.nounA1

Definition

each day’s first major period, which begins as the sky grows light and lasts until about noon, when people stop to eat

Example

Tara likes to go for a run every morning before breakfast.

collocation: go for a run in the morning

The morning air was cool and fresh, so Liang opened the kitchen window.

Common collocations

early morning
late morning
morning sun
morning coffee
morning rush
morning meeting
good morning
every morning
all morning

Synonyms

daybreak
more specific — only the moment the sun first appears, not the whole early part of the day
dawn
also limited to the very start of morning; more literary in tone
sunrise
focuses on the event of the sun coming up, not the whole morning period

Antonyms

evening
the late part of the day when the sun goes down
night
the dark period after sunset

Usage Note

Often used with 'in the morning' as an adverbial time phrase. When specifying a day of the week, use 'on': 'on Monday morning.'

Common Mistakes

I will do it in this morning.

I will do it this morning.

Do not use 'in' before 'this', 'that', 'every', or 'next' when they modify 'morning.'

I have a meeting on the morning.

I have a meeting in the morning.

Use 'in the morning' for general time, not 'on.'

2.nounA1

Definition

used to describe when something takes place in the hours before noon, typically after words such as 'in', 'this', 'every', or the name of a day

Example

Christopher works best in the morning, so he plans important tasks then.

adverbial phrase: in the morning

Imani usually checks her email first thing in the morning.

Common collocations

in the morning
this morning
every morning
on Monday morning
tomorrow morning
yesterday morning
first thing in the morning

Synonyms

a.m.
mostly used with clock times, not as a general time reference

Grammar Patterns

in the morning

this morning

every morning

Usage Note

This sense overlaps with noun sense 1 but is distinguished by its fixed adverbial use. 'In the morning' refers generally; 'on Friday morning' refers to a specific day; 'this morning' means today before midday.

Common Mistakes

I saw her on this morning.

I saw her this morning.

Do not add 'on' or 'in' before 'this morning.'

3.nounA2

Definition

clock hours that begin at midnight and continue up to the start of the afternoon, used when giving a specific time

Example

The baby woke at two in the morning and would not go back to sleep.

pattern: at + hour + in the morning for early clock times

Kian's flight from Taipei departed at half past four in the morning.

Common collocations

two in the morning
three a.m.
early hours of the morning
in the small hours of the morning

Synonyms

a.m.
the formal written abbreviation for times before noon, used with numbers

Antonyms

p.m.
times after midday, corresponding to the afternoon and evening

Grammar Patterns

number + in the morning

Usage Note

In the 24-hour clock, times from 00:00 to 11:59 are 'in the morning.' In everyday speech, this is used mainly for hours before dawn (midnight to about 5 a.m.); after that speakers often switch to 'this morning' or simply give the hour without a phrase.

Common Mistakes

I went to bed at twelve in the night.

I went to bed at twelve in the morning / midnight.

In English, midnight (12 a.m.) is 'in the morning,' not 'at night.'

4.nounA2

Definition

the early part of the day that follows a particular day, event, or point in time

Example

The next morning, Matthew woke up to find snow covering the garden.

time adverbial: the next morning at sentence start

The group checked into the hotel late and explored the city the following morning.

Common collocations

the next morning
the following morning
the morning after

Synonyms

the following morning
more formal; common in written narratives and news reports
tomorrow morning
only usable when the reference point is today

Grammar Patterns

the next morning

the following morning

Usage Note

Always used with a definite determiner ('the next morning,' 'the following morning'). 'Next morning' without 'the' is also possible but less common in formal writing. 'Tomorrow morning' replaces 'the next morning' when the reference point is 'now.'

Common Mistakes

I will call you next morning.

I will call you tomorrow morning.

When the reference point is today, use 'tomorrow morning,' not 'the next morning.'

5.nounB1

Definition

the time after an event or activity, especially one involving drinking too much alcohol, when a person feels unwell, sorry, or faces the results of their actions

Example

The morning after the party, Imani regretted drinking so much soda.

fixed phrase: the morning after + event

Owen woke up with a terrible headache the morning after the celebration.

Common collocations

the morning after
morning-after regret
morning-after feeling

Synonyms

hangover
specifically the physical effects of drinking too much alcohol; not used for regret about non-alcohol events

Grammar Patterns

the morning after (something)

Usage Note

Often strongly associated with hangovers from alcohol ('the morning after the night before'), but can be used for any event whose effects become clear the next day. The related idiom 'the morning after' (without a following noun) is treated under idioms below.

Common Mistakes

I had a morning after.' (vague)

I had a bad morning after the wedding.

Include the event or context so the reader knows what 'the morning after' refers to.

Idioms

the morning after (the night before)

idiom

the unpleasant physical effects or feelings of regret that a person experiences the day after drinking too much alcohol or doing something unwise

Theo woke up with a pounding headache and knew it was going to be a rough morning after the night before.

It was definitely a morning after situation when she found her wallet at the bus stop, completely empty.

in the morning

idiom

This phrase refers to the time from midnight until midday.

Sara always goes for a run in the morning.

Did you feed the cat in the morning?

morning, noon and night

idiom

This phrase means all the time, without stopping.

Diego practices the piano morning, noon and night.

The baby cries morning, noon and night.

the other day/morning/evening/week

idiom

This phrase refers to a recent time, not long ago.

Maya saw a deer in the park the other morning.

I visited my grandmother the other week.

Word family

morn
nounC2
morning-after
adjectiveB2
morning-glory
nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Morning is the broadest term, covering the whole early part of the day from when people wake up until noon. Dawn is much narrower — it refers only to the first light that appears in the sky before the sun comes up, and it has a more poetic or literary feel. Daybreak is similar to dawn but slightly more neutral in tone; it is common in weather forecasts and travel schedules. Sunrise points to the specific moment when the top of the sun becomes visible above the horizon. For everyday use, 'morning' fits most situations: 'I went for a walk this morning.' If you mean the very first light, use 'dawn' or 'daybreak': 'We set off at dawn to catch the early train.' If you want to highlight the visual event of the sun appearing, use 'sunrise': 'The sunrise over the mountains was spectacular.'

morning ↗dawndaybreak ↗sunrise ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

first thing in the morning
in the early hours of the morning
morning, noon and night
bright and early in the morning

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'morning' comes from Old English 'morgen,' which meant the time of daybreak or the early part of the day. This can be traced back to a Proto-Germanic root *murgana-, which is also the source of Dutch 'morgen' and German 'Morgen.' Beyond that, the root connects to a Proto-Indo-European word *mergh-, meaning 'to twinkle' or 'to flicker' — an ancient link between the idea of morning and the first glimmer of light in the sky.

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morning

morning — exclamation

1. a polite word you say when you meet someone for the first time in the early part

Common Mistakes

morning — noun

1. each day’s first major period, which begins as the sky grows light and lasts unt

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. used to describe when something takes place in the hours before noon, typically

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. clock hours that begin at midnight and continue up to the start of the afternoon

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

4. the early part of the day that follows a particular day, event, or point in time

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

5. the time after an event or activity, especially one involving drinking too much

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

the morning after (the night before)

in the morning

morning, noon and night

the other day/morning/evening/week

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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