How do you use "Burning the midnight oil" in a sentence?

I've been burning the midnight oil all week to finish this report. Finals week means burning the midnight oil at the library. She burned the midnight oil to get the proposal ready for Monday.

Burning the midnight oil

Q: What does "Burning the midnight oil" mean?

Working or studying very late into the night. Describes staying up late to work on something important. It implies dedication and hard work, often with a hint of exhaustion. Used by students cramming for exams, professionals meeting deadlines, and anyone pulling a late night for a good reason.

American Slang Term American ★★★★☆ Common informal

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Meaning: Working or studying very late into the night.

工作或学习到深夜；开夜车。

Trabajar o estudiar hasta muy tarde por la noche.

夜遅くまで仕事や勉強をすること。

밤늦게까지 일하거나 공부하는 것.

Describes staying up late to work on something important. It implies dedication and hard work, often with a hint of exhaustion. Used by students cramming for exams, professionals meeting deadlines, and anyone pulling a late night for a good reason.

形容为了做重要的事情而熬夜。暗含着勤奋努力的意味，通常也带着一丝疲惫。学生为考试临时抱佛脚、职场人赶截止日期，或任何人为了正当理由熬夜时都会用到这个表达。

Describe quedarse despierto hasta muy tarde trabajando en algo importante. Implica dedicación y esfuerzo, a menudo con un toque de agotamiento. Lo usan estudiantes que se preparan para los exámenes, profesionales que cumplen plazos y cualquiera que trasnoche por una buena razón.

何か重要なことのために夜更かしすることを表す。献身と努力を暗示し、しばしば疲労感も伴う。試験勉強に追われる学生、締め切りに追われる社会人、何らかの理由で夜遅くまで頑張る人全般に使われる。

중요한 일을 하기 위해 밤늦게까지 깨어 있는 것을 묘사한다. 헌신과 노력을 암시하며, 종종 피로감이 느껴지기도 한다. 시험 공부에 매달리는 학생, 마감을 맞추는 직장인, 그 외 밤을 새워야 할 이유가 있는 누구에게나 쓰인다.

Examples

I've been burning the midnight oil all week to finish this report.
为了完成这份报告，我整整一周都在开夜车。
He estado quemándome las pestañas toda la semana para terminar este informe.
このレポートを仕上げるために、今週ずっと夜遅くまで働いていた。
이 보고서를 끝내려고 이번 주 내내 밤늦게까지 일했어.
Finals week means burning the midnight oil at the library.
期末考试周意味着要在图书馆熬夜苦读。
La semana de exámenes finales significa quedarse hasta las tantas en la biblioteca.
期末試験の週は図書館で夜遅くまで勉強することになる。
기말고사 주간에는 도서관에서 밤새 공부하게 돼.
She burned the midnight oil to get the proposal ready for Monday.
她为了在周一之前完成方案，一直加班到深夜。
Se quedó trabajando hasta altas horas de la noche para tener la propuesta lista para el lunes.
彼女は月曜日までに企画書を仕上げるため、夜遅くまで頑張った。
그녀는 월요일까지 기획서를 완성하려고 밤늦게까지 열심히 했어.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: work, school, casual conversation

Tone: dedicated, exhausted

✓ Do Say

I was burning the midnight oil last night.
我昨晚开夜车了。
Anoche estuve quemándome las pestañas.
昨夜は遅くまで頑張っていたよ。
어젯밤 늦게까지 일했어.
Time to burn the midnight oil.
是时候开夜车了。
Toca quedarse hasta las tantas.
今夜は夜遅くまで頑張る時だ。
밤새 작업할 시간이야.

✗ Don't Say

Don't glorify it too much — burning the midnight oil regularly suggests poor time management or overwork
不要过度美化熬夜——经常性地开夜车意味着时间管理不善或过度劳累
No lo glorifiques demasiado — quemarse las pestañas con frecuencia sugiere mala gestión del tiempo o exceso de trabajo.
あまり美化しすぎないこと——常態的に夜遅くまで働くのは、時間管理の悪さや過労を示唆する
너무 미화하지 말 것 — 밤늦게까지 일하는 것이 일상화되면 시간 관리 부족이나 과로를 시사한다

Origin & History

From the era before electricity when working after dark required burning oil lamps. The phrase dates to the 1630s in English but became a staple of American speech, especially in the context of American work ethic and hustle culture.

Cultural Context

Era: 1630s-present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal