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Glite Dictionary
good evening

good evening

165 1.0
A polite greeting or farewell used in the evening
  • noun
  • /ɡʊd ˈivnɪŋ/
translation icon : buenas noches
  • "Good evening," I said, polite though his abrupt entrance was rude.
  • say good evening
  • good evening and welcome
  • hello and good evening

I got this message that came in it said good evening from Maine.

Examples

  • Now run along and have a good evening.

    Blog text (12)

  • I'll take the easy way out and wish you all a good evening.

    Blog text (32)

  • Good evening, good evening, good evening.

  • We're having a good evening, too.

    Unfavorable Odds (2022)

  • Good evening, dear committee members.

    Emmanuelle (2024)

  • "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Blue Swan."

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Good evening, in just moments, we're expecting the FBI to hold a press conference.

    Tin Soldier (2025)

  • Good evening, I'm Robert Hawkins, and this is Top Story.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • But I wisely decided to spare him all of that, shook his hand, and bid him a good evening.

    Blog text (33)

  • Good evening, everyone, and welcome to tonight's event.

Synonyms

hi
vsgood evening
  • Informal
∞ 1.0

A short friendly greeting you use when you meet someone

is the polite greeting used at that time of day rather than casual meeting
evening
vsgood evening
584 1.0

A short greeting said late in the day or at night

is the exact polite greeting used at that time of day
ciao
vsgood evening
  • Informal
47 8.5

A casual way to say hello or goodbye in Italy

is a more formal polite phrase used at that time of day
hallo
vsgood evening
  • UK
1 1.0

A short friendly word used to greet someone or get their attention

is the polite, time-specific greeting rather than a general call
bonsoir
vsgood evening
1 8.9

A French greeting or farewell people say in the evening to mean good evening

is the English polite form used at the same time of day
to hello
vsgood evening
1 1.0

Say a short greeting when you meet someone or answer the phone

is a time-specific polite phrase used later in the day
namaste
vsgood evening
7.3

A respectful hello or goodbye said with a slight bow and hands pressed together

is a simple spoken polite phrase for that time of day

Surface Forms

good evening singular

Morphology

good + evening

The phrase is directly compositional: 'good' (positive/pleasant) + 'evening' (the time of day) naturally yields a polite salutation used at that time. This greeting pattern (good + time-of-day) is cross-linguistically common and formulaic, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's use as a greeting or farewell.

Etymology

Good evening comes from a simple wish: saying good to someone's evening, like meeting someone in the evening and telling them you hope their time will be pleasant. That's why we use good evening as a polite 'greeting' or 'farewell' in the evening.