adj · noun · 4 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm/
[ˈnaɪʔtaɪm]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:N AY1 T T AY2 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Pertaining to nighttime; appropriate to the night.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Happening during the night.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The hours of darkness between sunset and sunrise; the night.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: night, dark
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: time period, period of time, period
Narrower terms: weeknight, wedding night
History
Etymology
From Middle English nyght tyme, nyȝttyme, equivalent to night + time. Compare Dutch nachttijd, German Nachtzeit, Danish nattetid, Swedish nattetid. Compare also Middle English nyȝter tyme (“nighttime”), from Old Norse náttartími, nætrtími (“nighttime”).
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Czech:
noční
— pertaining to nighttime, appropriate to the night
Esperanto:
nokta
— pertaining to nighttime, appropriate to the night
Ancient Greek:
νυκτερινός
(nukterinós)
— pertaining to nighttime, appropriate to the night
Hungarian:
éjszakai
— pertaining to nighttime, appropriate to the night
Hungarian:
éjjeli
— pertaining to nighttime, appropriate to the night
Marshallese:
bon̄
— pertaining to nighttime, appropriate to the night
Russian:
ночно́й
(nočnój)
— pertaining to nighttime, appropriate to the night
Spanish:
nocturno
— pertaining to nighttime, appropriate to the night
Czech:
noční
— happening during the night
Ancient Greek:
νυκτερινός
(nukterinós)
— happening during the night
Hungarian:
éjszakai
— happening during the night
Hungarian:
éjjeli
— happening during the night
Marshallese:
bon̄
— happening during the night
Russian:
ночно́й
(nočnój)
— happening during the night
Spanish:
nocturno
— happening during the night
Arabic:
لَيْلُ
(laylu)
— hours of darkness
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܠܲܝܠܹܐ
(layle)
— hours of darkness
Chinese Mandarin:
夜裡 /夜里
(yèli)
— hours of darkness
Chinese Mandarin:
夜間 /夜间
(yèjiān)
— hours of darkness
Czech:
noc
— hours of darkness
Czech:
noční doba
— hours of darkness
Finnish:
yö
— hours of darkness
Finnish:
yöaika
— hours of darkness
French:
nuit
— hours of darkness
German:
Nacht
— hours of darkness
Ancient Greek:
νύξ
(núx)
— hours of darkness
Interlingua:
nocte
— hours of darkness
Japanese:
夜間
(yakan)
— hours of darkness
Japanese:
夜分
(yabun)
— hours of darkness
Maranao:
kagagawi'i
— hours of darkness
Marshallese:
bon̄
— hours of darkness
Norwegian:
natt
— hours of darkness
Persian:
شبهنگام
(šab-hengâm)
— hours of darkness
Polish:
noc
— hours of darkness
Portuguese:
noite
— hours of darkness
Russian:
ночь
(nočʹ)
— hours of darkness
Russian:
ночно́е вре́мя
(nočnóje vrémja)
— hours of darkness
