total waste of time
4
3.9
- noun
:
pérdida total de tiempo
- This is a total waste of time.
Examples
-
A lot of people back home thought it was a total waste of time.
Fiction book (2000) -
I felt like this entire film was a total waste of time.
-
I think this is a total waste of time.
-
This whole program is a total waste of time.
-
I felt like this entire film was a total waste of time.
Blog text (16) -
It is a total waste of time, money, and effort.
Blog text (2) -
It's pointless and a total waste of time, but I can't stop.
-
I am a new poster, and I hate to start off on a sour note, but Analytics has been a total waste of time for me to date.
Blog text (21) -
School can feel like a total waste of time—but you'll get more out of it if you put more in.
Blog text (33) -
So, that's a total waste of time.
Synonyms
126
2.7
An activity that takes time but does not help you
14
9.9
Work that looks useful but wastes time or money
12
7.2
A task that has no chance of success
3
6.3
Tasks that keep you busy but have little real value
3
2.9
An action that uses effort but achieves nothing useful
1
3.8
An action that uses time and energy but gives no useful result
1
4.3
A thing like time or money that is completely useless and gives no benefit
A rude phrase for something completely pointless and not worth your time
How Worthwhile
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an activity that is completely unproductive or pointless' is directly derivable from the constituents: 'total' (complete) + 'waste' (loss/inefficient use) + 'time' (period). This intensifier + noun composition follows normal English patterns and has clear equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Total waste of time may come from a simple picture: imagine time as hours or coins and a waste as something you throw away, so throwing all your hours away means they are gone. That's why it now means 'completely unproductive or pointless'.