Burn the midnight oil — to work or study very late into the night, especially when under pressure or trying to meet a deadline.
Origin & History
The idiom dates from the era before electric lighting, when people literally burned oil lamps to work after dark. The phrase appears as early as 1635 in Francis Quarles's Emblemes: "We spend our midday sweat, our midnight oil." It became widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries and remains common today.
The image of oil burning late at night conveys dedication and hard work — someone willing to sacrifice sleep to complete a task.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Context |
|---|---|
| She burned the midnight oil to finish her dissertation. | Academic deadline |
| The development team burned the midnight oil to launch the app on time. | Tech project deadline |
| He's been burning the midnight oil all week preparing for his exams. | Student studying |
| We burned the midnight oil and finally submitted the report by dawn. | Work project |
| You look tired — were you burning the midnight oil again? | Friendly observation |
Use It in Conversation
Dialogue Example
James: You look exhausted. Are you okay?
Priya: I've been burning the midnight oil all week. My final exams start on Monday.
James: Make sure you get some rest this weekend too — you can't study well if you're overtired.
How to Use It
The idiom is commonly used in the present perfect continuous ("I've been burning the midnight oil") or simple past ("she burned the midnight oil"). It can also be used in the present: "He burns the midnight oil regularly." It pairs well with time phrases like "all week", "to finish", or "for the deadline".
Common Mistakes
Mistakes to Avoid
She burned midnight oil to finish her essay.
She burned the midnight oil to finish her essay. — Always include 'the'.
He burned the midnight oils.
He burned the midnight oil. — 'Oil' is uncountable here; no plural 's'.