to watch the world go by
2
4.6
- idiom
- Informal
:
ver pasar el tiempo
- After a long week, I love to sit at the café and watch the world go by.
- sit and watch the world go by
Examples
-
Standing on the curb, I watch the world go by while soaking in the California sun.
Fiction book (2000) -
A few old people sat on their front porches watching the world go by.
Fiction book (2001) -
And I watch the world go by.
-
We're watching the world go by.
-
And I've just spent my time watching the world go by.
-
I can't sit in the park like you all day watching the world go by, can I?
-
I no longer mind when Mavis just wants to sit and watch the world go by; in fact, I now make time for it.
Blog text (32) -
I've accepted that she simply wants to watch the world go by as she saunters slowly down the street.
Blog text (32) -
If you just want to relax and idly watch the world go by, then make a beeline for one of Vienna's many coffee houses.
Blog text (27) -
On lazy Sunday afternoons, we often just relax in the garden and watch the world go by.
Synonyms
619
2.4
To watch something carefully to learn about it
50
3.4
To watch events happen without taking part
16
3.0
Relax and feel happy about something without worrying
Antonyms
How Involved
619
2.4
50
3.4
- Informal
2
4.6
- Informal
16
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
Each constituent contributes directly: 'watch' = observe, 'the world' = people/activities around you, and 'go by' = pass or move past. The combined literal meaning—observing life pass by—matches the MWE sense and is cross-linguistically plausible, so a B1 learner who knows the words would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
Watch the world go by paints a simple picture: someone sitting quietly and watching people, cars and everyday life move past, as if the world is going by like a slow parade. That's why it means 'to spend time observing life around you without getting involved'.