Definition

1. Noun:
   • 12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night: The precise moment or time period that is twelve hours after noon, marking the transition from one day to the next. It is often considered the darkest and quietest part of the night.

Usage

• As a noun: "Midnight" is used to specify a specific time or to refer to the middle of the night in a general sense.
  • The deadline is at midnight tonight.
  • He promised to return by midnight.
  • The streets were deserted at midnight.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "the midnight hour": A poetic or dramatic way to refer to midnight.
  • The treaty was signed in the midnight hour.
• "burn the midnight oil": An idiom meaning to work or study late into the night.
  • She had to burn the midnight oil to finish her report.
• "midnight sun": A natural phenomenon occurring in summer in polar regions where the sun is visible at midnight.
  • Tourists travel to Norway to see the midnight sun.

Variants and Related Words

• Midnightly (adj., adv.): Occurring at or around midnight. (Rare)
  • The midnightly patrol ensured the building's security.

Synonyms

• The witching hour: A traditional term for midnight, associated with supernatural events.
• The dead of night: A phrase emphasizing the quietest, darkest part of the night, which often includes midnight.

Antonyms

• Noon: 12 o'clock in the daytime.
• Midday: The middle of the day; noon.

Related Idioms

• "As black/dark as midnight": Extremely dark.
  • Without any lights, the room was as dark as midnight.
• "Midnight raid": A sudden attack or police operation conducted late at night.
  • The police conducted a midnight raid on the suspect's apartment.

Noun

1. 12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
   • young children should not be allowed to stay up until midnight