Standard Lemma guide

moonlighting

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: M UW1 N L AY2 T IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of, or a period of, working on the side (at a secondary job), often in the evening or during the night, either openly or secretly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Aiming for sky-high productivity, the company discourages the distractions and fatigue of moonlighting by paying people enough that most choose not to bother with a second job.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Moonshining.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, dated, rare, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

present participle and gerund of moonlight

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: խալտուրա (xaltura) — period of working on the side
  • Belarusian: халту́ра (xaltúra) — period of working on the side
  • Chinese Mandarin: 兼任 (jiānrèn) — period of working on the side
  • Chinese Mandarin: 兼職 /兼职 (jiānzhí) — period of working on the side
  • Czech: melouch — period of working on the side
  • Finnish: sivutyö — period of working on the side
  • French: travail au noir — period of working on the side
  • French: travail dissimulé — period of working on the side
  • Georgian: ხალტურა (xalṭura) — period of working on the side
  • German: Mehrfachbeschäftigung — period of working on the side
  • German: Schwarzarbeit — period of working on the side
  • Hebrew: חַלְטוּרָה (khaltúra) — period of working on the side
  • Hungarian: másodállás — period of working on the side
  • Hungarian: álláshalmozás — period of working on the side
  • Hungarian: mellékfoglalkozás — period of working on the side
  • Hungarian: maszekolás — period of working on the side
  • Hungarian: fusi — period of working on the side
  • Hungarian: fusimunka — period of working on the side
  • Irish: obair faoi choim — period of working on the side
  • Italian: lavoro nero — period of working on the side
  • Japanese: ダブルワーク (daburuwāku) — period of working on the side
  • Lithuanian: nelegalus darbas — period of working on the side
  • Polish: chałtura — period of working on the side
  • Russian: халту́ра (xaltúra) — period of working on the side
  • Russian: рабо́та по-чёрному (rabóta po-čórnomu) — period of working on the side
  • Russian: шаба́шка (šabáška) — period of working on the side
  • Russian: подработка (podrabotka) — period of working on the side
  • Spanish: pluriempleo — period of working on the side
  • Spanish: trabajo en negro — period of working on the side
  • Spanish: chambismo — period of working on the side
  • Ukrainian: халту́ра (xaltúra) — period of working on the side
  • Ukrainian: підробі́ток (pidrobítok) — period of working on the side
  • Ukrainian: шаба́шка (šabáška) — period of working on the side