midnight
11 synonyms and 1 antonym for midnight, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Twelve o'clock at night; the moment the day changes.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
stroke of twelve
witching hour
nightfall's end
00:00
12 o'clock
12 midnight
12 a.m.
24:00
dead of night
noon of night
Antonyms
How to use midnight
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
midnight oil
midnight blue
strike midnight
burn the midnight oil
Etymology
From Old English midniht, from "mid-" + "night" — literally the middle of the night.
Full origin of midnight →Frequently asked questions
What does “midnight” mean?
The word “midnight” means twelve o'clock at night; the moment the day changes. In plain terms, the exact middle of the night, 12:00 am, or (as an adjective) a very deep black or dark blue colour.
How do you pronounce “midnight”?
“Midnight” is pronounced MIHD-nyt ([ˈmɪd̚ˌnɐɪt] in IPA).
How do you use “midnight” in a sentence?
Here is “midnight” used in a sentence: “The party is due to end at midnight.”
What is another word for “midnight”?
Words with a similar meaning to “midnight” include 00:00, 12 o'clock, 12 midnight, 12 a.m., 24:00 and dead of night.
What is the opposite of “midnight”?
The opposite of “midnight” — its antonyms — is midday.
What part of speech is “midnight”?
Depending on how it is used, “midnight” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “midnight” come from?
The word “midnight” comes from Old English. From Old English midniht, from "mid-" + "night" — literally the middle of the night.
Is “midnight” a common word?
“Midnight” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between 'midnight' and 'noon'?
'Midnight' is twelve o'clock at night, the moment the day changes, while 'noon' is twelve o'clock in the middle of the day. They mark opposite points on the clock, twelve hours apart.
Is midnight 12 a.m. or 12 p.m.?
Midnight is conventionally written as 12 a.m., marking the start of a new day, whereas noon is 12 p.m. Because this can cause confusion, many official schedules avoid it by writing 12:00 midnight or using a 24-hour time like 00:00.
Does 'midnight' belong to the day before or the day after?
Midnight is the moment the day changes, so it marks the boundary between one day ending and the next beginning. To avoid ambiguity, people often specify, for example, 'midnight Friday going into Saturday'.
