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Synonyms

while away

British  

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
while away Idioms  

  1. 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]

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.

Any such changes in U.S. accounting rules would be a while away.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

As luck has it, there is a gelato joint next door and so we continue his lead, sit on the terrace, people-watch and while away and enjoy lemon sorbet.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

The men, who have known each other since their earliest days in Los Angeles politics, now form a political odd couple while away from their families in California.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2024

And Robinson says he has been seeing a psychologist while away from action.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2024

He was probably as tired of reading newspapers and Central Committee documents as we were, so he had decided to let us while away the time by ourselves.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

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.