What does "burn the midnight oil" mean?

To work studiously, especially late into the night.

What is a synonym for "burn the midnight oil"?

Common synonyms include: be behindhand, be late, be overdue, bone, con, contemplate.

Burn the midnight oil

verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb

1
To work studiously, especially late into the night. idiomatic
"Near-synonym: pull an all-nighter"

Synonyms

All synonyms

be behindhand be late be overdue bone con contemplate

Example

More examples

"Near-synonym: pull an all-nighter"

Etymology

Originally referring to the act of burning lamp oil in oil lamps for light at night. The collocation midnight oil in its literal sense is attested from mid 17th c.

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