all night

USAGE SUMMARY

"all night" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an event or activity that lasts for a long period of time, typically overnight. For example, "We were up all night studying for the final exam."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

ALL night they battled.

The Economist

All night.

The New York Times - Sports

I cried all night.

Independent

"We sat all night.

The New York Times

"We struggled all night".

The New York Times - Sports

It rained all night.

The Guardian

They talked all night.

The New York Times

It runs all night.

The New Yorker

"Yes, all night," he said.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

All-night grocery stores.

The New York Times

All-night snuggles.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "all night" to clearly indicate that an activity or state continued for the entire duration of the night, without interruption. For example, "The storm raged "all night"."

Common error

Avoid using "all night" when you mean 'late at night' or 'for a significant portion of the night'. "All night" means the entire night. If the activity didn't last the whole night, choose a more appropriate phrase.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "all night" functions primarily as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs to indicate the duration of an action or state. Ludwig provides numerous examples where it describes activities continuing for the entire night.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Academia

18%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Science

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "all night" is a grammatically sound and widely used adverbial phrase signifying that something lasts for the entire duration of the night. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and provides numerous examples across diverse sources. Its frequency is high, particularly in news and media contexts. When using "all night", ensure that the activity genuinely spanned the entire night to avoid misrepresenting the duration. Alternatives like "throughout the night" offer similar meanings, but nuance should be considered for optimal clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

throughout the night

Emphasizes the continuous duration of an activity or state lasting the entire night.

all through the night

Similar to "throughout the night", stressing continuous action.

the whole night long

Adds emphasis to the length of the night and the duration of the activity.

the entire night

Highlights the completeness of the night's duration.

during the night

A more general term indicating something happened at some point within the night.

the night through

A slightly less common but still understandable inversion of "through the night".

from dusk till dawn

Specifies the timeframe more explicitly, from the beginning of night to the start of daylight.

overnight

Implies something happened during the night, often with a sense of suddenness or completion.

for the duration of the night

A more formal and explicit way of saying "all night".

the nocturnal hours

Refers to the hours of the night, often used in a more literary or scientific context.

FAQs

How can I use "all night" in a sentence?

You can use "all night" to describe an activity or event that lasts the entire night, such as "We studied "all night" for the exam" or "The party went on "throughout the night"".

What are some alternatives to saying "all night"?

Alternatives include "throughout the night", "the whole night long", or "during the night" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "all the night" instead of "all night"?

While "all the night" might be understood, "all night" is the standard and more commonly accepted phrase. Using "all night" will ensure your writing sounds natural and correct.

What's the difference between "all night" and "overnight"?

"All night" describes the duration of an activity, while "overnight" often implies something happening or being completed during the night. For example, "We drove "all night"" (duration) versus "The package arrived "overnight"" (completion during the night).