Small Hours

Pronunciation: /smɔːl aʊərz/

Definitions of small hours

noun a period of time in the early hours of the morning, typically between midnight and dawn

Example Sentences

A1 I like to stay up late into the small hours of the night.

A2 During the small hours, the city is quiet and peaceful.

B1 She often works on her novel in the small hours of the morning.

B2 The small hours of the day are when I feel most productive.

C1 In the small hours, I find inspiration for my artwork.

C2 The small hours of the night are my favorite time to reflect and plan for the future.

Examples of small hours in a Sentence

formal The meeting went on into the small hours of the morning as they tried to reach a consensus.

informal We stayed up chatting into the small hours last night.

slang Let's sneak out and hit up that 24-hour diner in the small hours.

figurative In the small hours of the night, his mind raced with thoughts of the future.

Grammatical Forms of small hours

• past tense: small hours
• plural: small hours
• comparative: smaller hours
• superlative: smallest hours
• present tense: small hours
• future tense: will be small hours
• perfect tense: have been small hours
• continuous tense: being small hours
• singular: small hour
• positive degree: small hours
• infinitive: to small hours
• gerund: small houring
• participle: small houring

Origin and Evolution of small hours

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'small hours' originated from the Middle English word 'smal', meaning 'little' or 'few', and 'hours', referring to the time of day.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'small hours' has come to refer to the early hours of the morning, typically between midnight and dawn, when most people are asleep. The phrase is often used to describe the quiet, peaceful time before the start of a new day.