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