good morning
Good morning (interjection) means a polite greeting used on meeting someone before about midday. Example: “Good morning — take a seat, she'll be with you shortly.”
How to use good morning
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWhat you say to greet someone in the morning.
Fully polite and safe in any setting. The clipped 'Morning' is the everyday spoken form; the full phrase is standard in writing, in emails and with strangers.
Good morning is a greeting; good night is only ever a farewell. Do not use good night to greet someone arriving.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ — take a seat, she'll be with you shortly.
Etymology
From Middle English gud mornynge (also as goode morne, gode morne), from Old English *gōdne morgen (“good morning”), an ellipsis for an expression such as "I wish you a good morning", equivalent to good + morning. Compare West Frisian goeie moarn, Dutch goedemorgen, German guten Morgen, Danish god morgen, Swedish god morgon, Icelandic góðan morgunn.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for good morning
See all rhymes for good morning →Frequently asked questions
Until what time can you say good morning?
Until midday, at which point good afternoon takes over. In practice people stretch it to lunchtime, and the first greeting of your working day often gets a good morning even if it lands slightly late.
What is the difference between good morning and just morning?
They are the same greeting at different levels of formality. 'Morning' is the clipped conversational version used with people you know; 'good morning' is the full form, expected in writing, in emails and with customers, clients or strangers.
What is the meaning of good morning?
"good morning" (interjection) means a polite greeting used on meeting someone before about midday.
What is another word for good morning?
Other words for "good morning" include morning, hello, good day, top of the morning, farewell.