last night

The previous evening

Last night refers to the night most recently passed—the evening and nighttime hours before this morning.

It functions as both a noun and an adverb: Last night was freezing and I saw her last night.

The phrase anchors events in the immediate past, distinct from the other night, which is vaguer and more distant.

Related

midnightTwelve o'clock at night
eveningLate day period
bedFurniture for slumber
bedtimeDesignated hour for retiring
sleep tightNighttime parting wish

party · yesternight · sleepless · moon · wee hours · play · regret · dream · nostalgia · hangover · morning after · walk of shame · blur · music · drunk text · yesterday · lost time · darkness

Categories

time expressionsnow, today, soon, tomorrow, later
recent pastyesterday, this morning, just now, recently, lately
nighttimemidnight, starry sky, moonlight, dusk, darkness

Opposites

temporal proximity/direction

last nighttomorrow night

The following evening

tonight · this morning · tomorrow · in the future · last day

temporal proximity/recency

last nighttomorrow night

The following evening

next week · in the future · years from now · someday · long ago

time of day within the same 24-hour period

last nightthis morning

Earlier part of today

this afternoon · daybreak · dawn

Family

last, night, lasting, nightfall, nighttime, overnight, nightly, lasts, lasted

Familiarity: Top 2,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G