eleventh hour
A point in time which is nearly too late; the last minute.
If she repented, though at the eleventh hour, it was not too late.
ADJ
solid
After the accident, she waited in the hospital for three solid hours before hearing any news.
VERB + HOUR
take
Learning to play the guitar takes many hours of practice every week.
spend
last
The meeting lasted over an hour, so we missed lunch together.
gain, lose
When we flew east across the ocean, we gained an hour on our watches.
HOUR + VERB
go by, pass
The hours went by slowly as we waited for the exam results.
PREP
by the ~
She charges by the hour for her freelance writing work.
for an ~
My son practiced piano for an hour before dinner.
in/within an ~
The doctor said she could see me in an hour if I arrived early.
over/under an ~
The meeting lasted under an hour, so we finished early and went home.
per ~
The wind was blowing at 50 kilometers per hour during the storm yesterday.
within the ~
The doctor said she would call back within the hour with the test results.
~ of
After an hour of waiting in traffic, we finally arrived at the airport.
PHRASES
half an hour, hour after hour, an hour's time, with every passing hour
The pain got worse hour after hour, so finally I called the doctor.
VERB + HOUR
chime, strike
The church bells chimed the hour as we walked through the old town square.
PREP
on the ~
The train arrives on the hour, so we should be at the station by 2 o'clock.
past the ~
The train usually arrives twenty minutes past the hour.
to the ~
The train arrives at quarter to the hour, so we should leave soon.
ADJ
lunch
peak, rush
During peak hours, the coffee shop is always crowded with office workers.
VERB + HOUR
spend
She spends several hours every week volunteering at the local animal shelter.
PREP
~ of
After a long day at work, she enjoyed an hour of quiet time with her favorite book.
ADJ
office, opening, working
licensing, visiting
The hospital has extended its visiting hours so patients can see family members in the evening.
flexible | long | regular
VERB + HOUR
work
My father works flexible hours at his new job, so he can pick me up from school.
keep
My mother kept long hours at the hospital during her nursing shifts.
PREP
after ~
The cleaning staff arrive to work after hours when the building is quiet.
out of ~
The emergency plumber charged extra because we called him out of hours on a Sunday night.
ADJ
darkest, finest
The team showed their finest hour when they came back to win the championship game.
antisocial, unearthly, ungodly, unsocial
My neighbor's dog started barking at an ungodly hour this morning.
HOUR + VERB
come
The moment finally came when she could leave her job and start her own business.
PREP
between the ~s of
Trains don't run between the hours of midnight and five in the morning.
~ of
During the hours of waiting at the airport, we read magazines and drank coffee.
PHRASES
your hour of need
When my car broke down, my brother was there during my hour of need.