Meaning & use
eve
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
The day or evening before an important event or holiday.
Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'on the eve of' or 'Christmas Eve'. Usually singular in these fixed phrases.
Patterns
- on the eve of something
- Christmas Eve
- New Year's Eve
We always have a big dinner on Christmas Eve.
On the eve of the election, the candidates made their final speeches.
She finished her project on the eve of the deadline.
nounsingular
The period just before a significant event or change.
Grammar: Used in the phrase 'on the eve of', often before a major historical or personal event.
Patterns
- on the eve of something
The country was on the eve of a revolution.
He felt nervous on the eve of his wedding.
Word forms
| plural | eves |
|---|
Common combinations
- Christmas Eve
- Children hang stockings on Christmas Eve.
- New Year's Eve
- We watched fireworks on New Year's Eve.
- on the eve of
- On the eve of the battle, the soldiers wrote letters home.
- eve of destruction
- The novel portrays a society on the eve of destruction.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- evening noun
- The later part of the day, not necessarily before an event.
Commonly confused: eve or Eve?
eve vs Eve
As a proper noun, Eve is the first woman in the Bible; the common noun 'eve' means the day before.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'eve' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 correctly uses 'eve' to mean the day before July 4th. Option 2 is wrong because 'eve' does not mean evening in general. Option 3 is wrong because 'eve' usually refers to a holiday or major event, and 'meeting' is not typically used with 'eve'. Option 4 is wrong because 'eve' is not a food.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eve”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.