burn the midnight oil

[/bɜːrn ðə ˈmɪdnaɪt ɔɪl/]

verb phrase

trabalhar até tarde da noite; trabalhar incansavelmente

1. To work late into the night or very hard, especially on a difficult task or project

The students burned the midnight oil to prepare for their final exams.

Os estudantes trabalharam até tarde da noite para se preparar para seus exames finais.

2. To dedicate oneself intensively to work or study, often sacrificing sleep and relaxation

The team burned the midnight oil to meet the project deadline.

A equipe trabalhou incansavelmente para cumprir o prazo do projeto.

NYC Slang

pull an all-nighter

Synonyms

Antonyms

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

trabalhar até tarde da noite; trabalhar de madrugada

Most common usage in Brazil

São Paulo

queimar a noite de óleo; trabalhar a noite toda

Literal translation sometimes used in formal contexts

Portugal

trabalhar até altas horas da noite; trabalhar madrugada adentro

More emphasis on late night hours

work around the clock

burn oneself out

pull an all-nighter

nose to the grindstone

work one's fingers to the bone

Look up more words on Fala2Me

The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more