at unsocial hours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at unsocial hours" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to refer to times that are considered inconvenient or atypical for social activities, often late at night or very early in the morning. Example: "The delivery service operates at unsocial hours, making it difficult for many customers to receive their packages."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Most churches are next to houses whose residents will most certainly complain about bells being rung at unsocial hours.

The Guardian - Arts

He began confronting her friends, and often telephoned her at unsocial hours.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

In the past decade, the number of night flights those arriving between 11pm and 7am has more than doubled.Why do so many planes have to land at such unsocial hours?

The Economist

The package includes extra payments for some police officers with a 10% pay uplift for those working unsocial hours at a cost of £106m and a £6m improvement in maternity pay from 13 to 18 weeks.

The Guardian

Janet Davies, director of nursing and service delivery at the Royal College of Nursing: Staff working unsocial hours are generally invisible to organisations – no healthy food, no admin support, IT support.

The Guardian

Many spend only brief periods working at night, but for an increasing number working unsocial hours is routine.

Independent

"These are legitimate expenses which staff incur as they do their jobs, often during unsocial hours," said Sue Harris, national broadcasting officer at the National Union of Journalists.

The Guardian

Mick Cash, the union's general secretary, said: "Our train manager members at Eurostar have a heavy commitment to shift work and unsocial hours and are sick and tired of the company's failure to honour agreements.

The Guardian - Business

The RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: "Our train manager members at Eurostar have a heavy commitment to shift work and unsocial hours and are sick and tired of the company's failure to honour agreements.

The Guardian - Business

Hunt talks about an 11% increase in basic salary when he knows that at the same time he is taking away their 50% uplift for working unsocial hours and removing obstacles to them being forced to work even longer hours.

The Guardian

"While we cannot estimate figures with any accuracy, it seems likely that at least some of these staff would not be prepared to work their current unsocial hours under such circumstances," the pay advisers said.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing work schedules, use "at unsocial hours" to emphasize the disruption to personal and social life caused by working during those times.

Common error

Avoid using "at unsocial hours" when simply referring to late or early times. The phrase specifically implies inconvenience and disruption to social routines, so ensure the context warrants this negative connotation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at unsocial hours" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to indicate the time at which an action occurs. Ludwig examples demonstrate its use to describe when events, such as telephone calls or bell-ringing, take place.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Wiki

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "at unsocial hours" is a prepositional phrase used to describe activities or events that occur during times considered inconvenient or atypical for social interactions, typically late at night or very early in the morning. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically sound and acceptable in written English. It is most commonly found in news and media contexts, and while not overly frequent, its usage conveys a specific sense of disruption or inconvenience. When using "at unsocial hours", be mindful of its connotation, ensuring the context warrants the implication of disrupted routines.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

during unsociable hours

A direct synonym using "unsociable" instead of "unsocial".

at odd hours

Replaces "unsocial" with "odd", maintaining the sense of irregular or unconventional times.

during unconventional times

Substitutes "unsocial hours" with a more descriptive phrase, emphasizing the non-standard nature of the timing.

during atypical hours

Similar to "during unconventional times" but uses "atypical" to highlight the unusual nature of the hours.

outside normal working hours

More explicitly states that the hours are outside the typical workday.

after hours

A shorter, more common way to indicate time outside of regular business hours.

during late night hours

Specifically refers to hours late in the evening or early morning.

at inconvenient times

Focuses on the inconvenience associated with the timing.

during out-of-hours periods

More formal and emphasizes that the activity occurs outside of standard operational times.

at off-peak hours

Indicates times when activity is lower than usual, often late or very early.

FAQs

What does "at unsocial hours" mean?

The phrase "at unsocial hours" refers to times that are considered inconvenient or atypical for social activities, often late at night or very early in the morning. It typically implies a disruption to normal social routines.

How can I use "at unsocial hours" in a sentence?

You might say, "The delivery service operates "at unsocial hours", making it difficult for many customers to receive their packages," to highlight the inconvenience of the delivery times.

What are some alternatives to saying "at unsocial hours"?

You can use alternatives like "at odd hours", "during unconventional times", or "during atypical hours" depending on the context.

Is it more correct to say "at unsocial hours" or "during unsocial hours"?

Both "at unsocial hours" and "during unsocial hours" are grammatically correct and can be used interchangeably, though "at unsocial hours" might be slightly more common.