whiles
Americanadverb
-
Chiefly Scot. at times.
-
Obsolete. in the meantime.
conjunction
adverb
conjunction
Etymology
Origin of whiles
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at while, -s 1
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.
In Kim Eunho’s 1927 ink and color painting on silk, “Woman Reading the Fortune of the Day,” a hostess in traditional hanbok dress whiles away her break with gaming tiles as a cigarette smolders nearby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
"Fatah is the same, Fatah cares about Fatah people," said Kuhail, who whiles away his time in cheap cafes with other unemployed friends.
From Reuters ● Mar. 22, 2023
Gym Group reported a pre-tax loss of £28.5m for the six months to the end of June whiles sales tumbled by 21.4% to £29.3m.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2021
As the two bemoan their miserable lot in life, Vacuum acknowledges that he takes comfort in their relationship as he whiles away his days in a dark closet.
From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2017
Most to the North he looked, and would pause at whiles to listen as if by some ancient art his ears might hear the thunder of hoofs on the plains far away.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
