night-time

night-time — noun

1. the hours of darkness between one day and the next, when most people are asleep

1.nounA2
Definition

the hours of darkness between one day and the next, when most people are asleep and the sun is not in the sky

Example

The night-shift security guard always does two extra rounds during night-time.

during night-time — time reference phrase

Hugo's baby daughter usually wakes up at least once during night-time.

Common collocations
  • night-time hours
  • night-time sky
  • night-time economy
  • night-time routine
  • night-time noise
  • night-time activities
Synonyms
  • night

    more common in everyday speech; night-time sounds slightly more formal

  • hours of darkness

    formal or literary; not common in ordinary conversation

Antonyms
  • daytime

    the direct opposite; used in parallel constructions such as 'both daytime and night-time'

  • daylight hours

    specifically when the sun is up, not just the morning or evening

Grammar Patterns

at night-time

during night-time

Usage Note

Unlike the word 'night,' which can also refer to the early evening, 'night-time' specifically means the period of full darkness. It is most commonly used when contrasting with 'daytime' in formal or descriptive contexts. In everyday speech, 'night' alone is more natural.

Common Mistakes

We arrived at night-time around eight o'clock.
We arrived in the evening around eight o'clock.
At eight o'clock it may not be fully dark yet, so 'night-time' is not appropriate.
I prefer to study at nighttime.
I prefer to study at night-time.
In British English, the hyphenated form is standard; the one-word spelling 'nighttime' is common in American English but considered non-standard in British writing.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'night' is the most common word for the hours of darkness and can also refer to the early evening (e.g., 'a night out with friends'), 'night-time' refers strictly to the dark period after sunset and before sunrise, often in contrast with 'daytime.' 'Evening' describes the period when the sun is going down but light may still remain — typically from around sunset until bedtime. 'Darkness' refers to the absence of light itself rather than a specific time period. For example: the owl hunts at night-time, but we spotted it at dusk, before full darkness had fallen.

night ↗evening ↗darkness ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • at night-time
  • during night-time
  • throughout the night-time

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Night-time is a compound formed from the Old English words 'niht' (night, the period of darkness) and 'tīma' (a period or span of time). It has been used since the Middle English period to specify the hours of darkness in contrast to 'daytime.' The word first appeared as two separate words ('night time') before the hyphenated form became standard in modern written English.