Meaning & use
tonight
Last updated
Meanings
adverb
On or during the evening or night of the present day.
Grammar: Usually placed at the end of a sentence or after the verb; can also start a sentence for emphasis.
Patterns
- tonight at 8
- see you tonight
- tonight's show
Are you free to have dinner tonight?
The concert starts at 8 p.m. tonight.
I'll finish my homework tonight.
noununcountable
The evening or night of the present day, considered as a particular occasion.
Grammar: Used with 'the' or as a bare noun; often after a preposition like 'for' or 'at'.
Patterns
- for tonight
- tonight's event
- the tonight show
Tonight is the night we've been waiting for.
The party is for tonight, so we need to get ready.
Tonight's weather will be clear and cold.
Common combinations
- tonight at [time]
- The movie starts tonight at 7.
- see you tonight
- I'll see you tonight after work.
- tonight's dinner
- What's for tonight's dinner?
- late tonight
- He'll be home late tonight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- this evening
- This evening refers specifically to the evening, while tonight can also mean the whole night.
- this night
- This night is more formal and less common; tonight is the usual choice.
Opposites
Word family
- tonight noun
- The evening or night of the present day.
Commonly confused: tonight or tonite?
tonight vs tonite
Tonite is a nonstandard, informal spelling of tonight; it is sometimes used in advertising but is not correct in standard writing.
Practice
Which sentence is correct in standard English?
Choose one answer.
The standard spelling is 'tonight'. 'Tonite' is informal and nonstandard, 'to night' is two separate words, and 'tonight's' is possessive and does not fit here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tonight”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.