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

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

Her goal: to run around a 10-minute-mile pace, complete the ski in under six minutes, haul the weights in under two minutes—and have a good time doing all of it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

In between, everyone seemed to have a good time.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 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

Mom said, Great, have a good time, because she was busy running on a treadmill that lit things up while Smell Factor tried to throw marbles at her knees.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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