have a good time

Idioms  

1. Enjoy oneself, as in I hope you have a good time at the beach. This idiom, also used as an imperative, dates from 16th-century England, where it was popular until the late 1600s and died out. Samuel Pepys, in a diary entry of March 1, 1666, wrote, “I went and had as good a time as heart could wish.” In America it continued to be used, and in the 1800s it reappeared in British speech as well. Also see hard time; show one a good time.

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Example Sentences

“I thought people would really have a good time with Aunt Gladys,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

But one thing is undeniable: everyone can have a good time in Las Vegas, whether that means catching a show, enjoying nature, indulging in a spa day or settling in for an unforgettable meal.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

"We used to come in groups to study and have a good time," recalls Adam Hafiz Ibrahim, a student at Omdurman Islamic University.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

So I gave myself a budget of around $350 a day and skeptically set out to see if anyone not arriving by Lamborghini could have a good time in this tax-free Shangri-La on the Mediterranean.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

“Whenever, man, just have a good time, all right?”

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

Related Words

• appreciate
• like
• love
• relish
• revel in
• savor