good night

IPA/ˌɡʊd ˈnaɪt/
IPA/ˌɡʊd ˈnaɪt/

good night — exclamation

1. a friendly phrase you say to someone late in the day, usually as you part for th

1.exclamationA1
Definition

a friendly phrase you say to someone late in the day, usually as you part for the night or just before going to sleep

Example

Nora kissed her daughter on the head and whispered, "Good night."

spoken at bedtime as a parting phrase

"Good night, everyone!" called Caio as he left the dinner party.

said when leaving people in the evening

Common collocations
  • say good night
  • kiss someone good night
  • wish someone good night
Synonyms
  • night night

    baby-talk version, used with small children

  • sleep well

    focuses on the wish for good rest rather than parting

Antonyms

Usage Note

Said only at the end of the day, unlike "good morning" or "good afternoon"; it works both as a parting phrase and as a wish for restful sleep.

Common Mistakes

Good night' (when arriving in the evening).
Good evening' (when arriving in the evening).
'good night' is for leaving or for bedtime, not for greeting someone.

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed from "good" plus "night", following the same pattern as "good morning" and "good day". Such parting and greeting phrases were originally short for fuller wishes like "may you have a good night", and over time the longer wish was dropped, leaving the fixed two-word formula used today.