burn the midnight oil
Meaning
To work or study late into the night, especially for a long time or to meet a deadline.
Origin
From the days of oil lamps and candles, when staying up late meant literally burning lamp oil after midnight; it became a metaphor for late-night work or study.
Notes
Often implies diligence and extra effort, but can also hint at overwork. Used in casual and formal contexts, common with studying or meeting deadlines.
Examples
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I had to burn the midnight oil to finish the report before the deadline.
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She’s been burning the midnight oil all week studying for her final exams.
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We burned the midnight oil debugging the app so we could launch on time.
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If you burn the midnight oil too often, you’ll start feeling worn out.
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He burned the midnight oil preparing his presentation for tomorrow’s meeting.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Typically used as a verb phrase: "burn the midnight oil". Tense/person inflect on burn (burn/burned/burnt/burning). Article is fixed as "the"; pluralizing "oil" is unnatural.
Synonyms
- work late
- stay up late
- pull an all-nighter
- burn the candle at both ends
- burn the late-night oil
Antonyms
- turn in early
- call it a night
- get an early night