burn the midnight oil
/ˌbɜːn ðə ˌmɪdnaɪt ˈɔɪl/NEUTRAL · C2
Meaning
to work very late into the night
Examples
- 1Ben burnt the midnight oil for a week to finish his dissertation.
- 2The design team were burning the midnight oil before the launch.
- 3There is no point burning the midnight oil if you cannot think straight.
- 4Aisha burns the midnight oil every March when the accounts are due.
- 5Did you burn the midnight oil again, or did you finally sleep?
Grammar
Only burn changes form; both burnt and burned are used in British English. Keep the midnight oil fixed.
Similar in meaning
More idioms about work and careers
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English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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