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THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Burn the midnight oil

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

To work late into the night; usually to meet a deadline or complete a task.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. She burned the midnight oil to finish her thesis before the deadline.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

To work late into the night; usually to meet a deadline or complete a task.
Show the answer

Burn the midnight oil — To work late into the night; usually to meet a deadline or complete a task.

Try your own sentence (optional)

Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Burn the midnight oil” about your own life.

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

To work late into the night; usually to meet a deadline or complete a task.

Compare: She burned the midnight oil to finish her thesis before the deadline.

Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.

This quiz is for practice. To save lesson completion on this device, complete the checks in the app.

GO DEEPER

More ways to understand and use it

How to use this expression

Use this for studying or working late at night. The past tense is “burned” or “burnt”. It does not describe any tiring task: the late-night element matters. The phrase describes an activity rather than recommending a study or sleep routine.

More examples

We burned the midnight oil preparing the exhibition catalogue.

The exam was approaching, and Arun was burning the midnight oil.

Check your understanding

Which situation fits: finishing an essay at 1 a.m., or taking a walk at noon?

Answer: Finishing the essay at 1 a.m. involves working late into the night.

Working late versus starting early

Sam: “I was still finishing my presentation at two in the morning.” Jo: “You were burning the midnight oil.”

Think it through: Would the expression fit equally well if Sam worked from six to eight in the morning?

Check the explanation

No. The late-night detail is what makes it fit here. It does not mean any kind of hard work. In a report of last night, say “Sam burned the midnight oil”; “Sam is burning the midnight oil” describes work happening now.

Your turn: Retell Sam’s situation in the past tense, including what he was working on.

Compare expressions: Work, study and your limits

Working late, taking on too much and giving up describe different stages of a difficult task. Choose the expression that explains what the person actually does.

Try the situation question and check your answer →

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