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Glite Dictionary
to call it a night

to call it a night

52 3.2
Stop what you are doing for the evening, usually to go to bed or go home
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : irse a casa
  • Well, I think we should probably call it a night and go to sleep.
  • going to call it a night
  • Let's call it a night
  • ready to call it a night

It is almost midnight, train is getting very shaky, and we are about to call it a night.

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Examples

Synonyms

to call it
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
324 4.7

Decide to stop an activity and finish for now

ends evening activities specifically rather than any general stopping decision
to call it a day
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
42 3.1

To stop working for the rest of the day

is used to stop evening activities specifically, often to sleep or leave
to call it quits
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
34 3.9

To stop doing something because you cannot continue or feel you have done enough

ends evening activity without implying permanent giving up
to turn in
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
27 3.5

To go to bed to sleep

ends evening activities, usually so you go to bed or go home
to wind up
vsto call it a night
17 3.7

Bring an activity or meeting to an end

ends evening plans specifically, often to go home or to sleep
to retire
vsto call it a night
  • Formal
16 5.8

Go to bed to sleep, usually at night

ends evening activities, often implying leaving or sleep but less casual
to hit the sack
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
10 6.0

To go to bed to sleep

stops evening activities, often to sleep or to leave for home
to hit the hay
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
8 6.0

To go to bed to sleep after a long day

stops evening activities, often meaning you will sleep or go home
to sack out
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
4 7.5

To go to bed to sleep

stops evening activities, often to sleep or to leave for home
to hit the sheets
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
1 8.6

To go to bed to sleep

stops evening activities to sleep or to leave for home
to fall in the sack
vsto call it a night
  • Informal
8.8

To go to bed or sleep

ends evening activities in general, sometimes to sleep or to leave

Antonyms

to continue
∞ 1.0

To keep doing something without stopping

to stay up
  • Informal
253 2.4

To be awake later than usual

How Final

to call it quits
  • Informal
34 3.9
to call it a night
  • Informal
52 3.2
to take a break
496 1.4
to pause
346 1.0

Surface Forms

call it a night infinitive
called it a night past
called it a night past participle
calling it a night present participle
calls it a night third person singular

Morphology

call + it + a + night

The phrase does not mean literally naming something 'a night' but uses 'call' metaphorically to declare the activity finished. A learner who knows 'call' and 'night' might guess a sense of declaring or labeling, but the specific pragmatic meaning 'stop for the evening / go to bed' is an idiomatic extension and is not fully predictable without prior exposure, so it is partially transparent.

Etymology

Call it a night may come from the simple image of someone calling out that the night has begun and the day's work is over, like a leader telling everyone to stop. So it means 'to stop what you are doing for the evening'.