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Glite Dictionary
to take your sweet time

to take your sweet time

1 7.6
To do something slowly without hurrying, often slower than others expect
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : tomarse su tiempo
  • He always takes his sweet time getting ready in the morning, no matter how late it is.

Examples

  • He is taking your sweet time to finish his homework, even though it's due tomorrow.

  • She took her sweet time answering the email, even though it was marked urgent.

  • You can take your sweet time with the assignment; there's no need to rush.

  • Please take your sweet time to finish the project.

  • I don't mind if you take your sweet time getting ready.

  • Maria takes your sweet time preparing dinner, making sure every dish is perfect.

  • Don't worry about rushing; just take your sweet time and enjoy the process.

Synonyms

to take one's sweet time
vsto take your sweet time
  • Informal
3 7.5

Do something slowly on purpose and without hurry

has identical meaning but uses a different pronoun form
to take one's time
vsto take your sweet time
3.5

To do something slowly and carefully without hurrying

is slower and often takes longer than others expect or want

Antonyms

to hurry
∞ 1.0

To move or act quickly because there is little time

to rush
403 1.0

To make a person or thing move quickly

How Fast

to slow down
687 1.4
to take your sweet time
  • Informal
1 7.6
to dawdle
17 5.0
crawl
19 2.7

Surface Forms

take your sweet time infinitive
taking your sweet time present participle
takes your sweet time third person singular
took your sweet time past
taken your sweet time past participle

Morphology

take + your + sweet + time

The core 'take time' is compositional (use a span of time) and 'sweet' acts as an evaluative intensifier that signals a leisurely or indulgent pace rather than a literal taste; this allows learners to infer a general meaning. However, the pragmatic/ironic flavor (often implying excessive slowness or mild annoyance) is idiomatic and not fully predictable from the parts, so a B1 learner may grasp the gist but miss nuance.

Etymology

Take your sweet time may come from the image of someone slowly enjoying a sweet treat, tasting each bite instead of hurrying. So, with sweet showing pleasure and time the moment spent, the phrase means 'to do something slowly and without hurrying'.