What does ‘burn the midnight oil’ mean?
To “burn the midnight oil” means to work late into the night. The phrase appears in English from at least the 17th century; Brewer's records it as a long-standing idiom for late-night study by lamplight.
Origin
- The phrase appears in English from at least the 17th century; Brewer's records it as a long-standing idiom for late-night study by lamplight.
How to use it
- Common in workplace and study talk.
- Example: I burned the midnight oil to finish the report.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.