while away

British

verb

(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

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

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while away

He missed more than 140 votes while away and left many wondering about his health.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Working his acoustic guitar with a French horn accompaniment — French horns! — he dares us to balance our relentless socioeconomic drive with our deep need to hang out, to while away the hours.

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026

However, Quigley is wonderful; a character in whose company one would happily while away the hours.

From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025

Jane, I am glad to hear that you have ever so many companions with whom to while away the hours.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

while away

verb

Example Sentences

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