while away

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to pass (time) idly and usually pleasantly

Idioms and Phrases

Spend time idly or pleasantly, as in It was a beautiful day and we whiled away the hours in the garden. This expression is the only surviving use of the verb while, meaning “to spend time.” [First half of 1600s]

Related Words

• consume 
• devote 
• employ 
• go 
• kill 
• put in 
• waste