pastime
Americannoun
-
pastimes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pastime
1480–90; earlier pas ( s ) e tyme, translation of Middle French passe-temps
Explanation
A pastime is any hobby or activity that you do to pass the time. Usually, people enjoy their pastimes. When baseball was more popular, it was called the "national pastime," because so many people enjoyed watching or playing it. Baseball is still a major pastime, as are many other sports. Other pastimes include listening to music, playing music, watching TV, playing video games, playing with your dog, and any kind of hobby. Whenever you're awake and not working, you're probably enjoying a pastime.
Vocabulary lists containing pastime
Baseball: A Lexicon
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Words for the World Series
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This Week in Words: November 11 - 17, 2017
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Speaking to Extra, external on the red carpet at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, Holland revealed their favourite pastime was rewatching old Spidermans.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
As it happens, she continued to consider singing a secondary pastime even after her performance in Handel’s “Giulio Cesare” under the direction of Peter Sellars made her famous in operatic circles in 1985.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
“It’s a pastime I’ve followed since I was a child,” Díaz told El Nuevo Día in March.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
It also makes O’Donnell a competent foil—and a satisfying target for Trump’s favorite pastime, revenge.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Quite the contrary, for their pleasures were not his; he had no use for card games, golf, cocktails, or buffet suppers served at ten—or, indeed, for any pastime that he felt did not “accomplish something.”
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Backyard bird feeding is one of our country’s most popular pastimes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
Bowling was once one of America’s most popular pastimes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
While we have counseled that speculating on earnings reports is gambling, it remains one of the most prevalent pastimes in the stock and options market.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
As a lifelong fan of board games and an avid environmentalist, Thomas Yount understood these tabletop pastimes do more than entertain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2024
One of his favorite pastimes was to hike to a high boulder and shout to generate an echo.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
