Word Finder
What's the word for a person who walks around at night?
The word you're looking for
A noctambulist is a person who walks around during the night, often while asleep. It is the closest single-word match for your description.
Other words that fit
Use this in everyday English if you mean someone who walks around at night, with no sleep-related meaning.
Use this if the person walks in their sleep, which is the most common meaning in modern English.
Use this in more formal or medical English for a sleepwalker.
Why this word
The best single-word answer is usually noctambulist, but it is quite rare. In daily speech, people more often say nightwalker if they only mean someone walking at night. If the walking happens during sleep, sleepwalker or somnambulist is better. Choose the word based on whether you mean a normal night walker or a person who sleepwalks.
In context
- The story described a lonely noctambulist on silent streets.
- He was a sleepwalker, not a dangerous nightwalker.
- Doctors called him a somnambulist.
Other concepts to find a word for
Frequently asked questions
- Is noctambulist a common word?
- No, it is uncommon. Most English speakers know sleepwalker or nightwalker instead.
- Does nightwalker mean the same as sleepwalker?
- No. Nightwalker means someone walking at night. Sleepwalker means someone walking while asleep.
- What is the formal word for sleepwalker?
- Somnambulist is the formal word for a sleepwalker.