have a good time

Idioms

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.

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.

have a good time

If you can afford it, this friendship is important to you, and you think you’ll have a good time, I say do it.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

He positions himself as a guy who wants to have a good time and who throws tentpole pop-culture events.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

“I think the AG’s going to have a good time with this one.”

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

"I just want it for the World Cup, to have a good time," he explains.

From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026

He came to school to have a good time and hang with his friends.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023