pass the time
Idioms-
Occupy oneself for an interval, as in The plane was six hours late but I passed the time reading a book .
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pass the time of day . Exchange greetings, engage in pleasantries, chat, as in Whenever I met her we would stop to pass the time of day . [First half of 1800s]
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.
To pass the time, he sat near the baggage area used by Trans World and Delta airlines, his back to the lockers about 40 feet away.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
He plans to stay in Miami until Scotland knows its fate, and to pass the time in a much more pleasant way than watching other teams with clenched teeth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
You’ve heard of doomscrolling on your phone to pass the time — but what about “doomjobbing” while looking for work?
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
Sometimes, he said, he would join Alanís Garcia at the Oxnard Sunday flea market to walk around and pass the time.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2025
The Vessels, during her time at the Birthing Unit, had done the same thing: found things to joke about, ways to pass the time.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
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.
