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Glite Dictionary
to while away

to while away

6 4.5
To spend time in a pleasant, relaxed way to make time pass quickly
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : pasar el tiempo
  • We figured that it would help to while away the in-transit hours for you, anyway.
  • while away the hours
  • while away the time

Examples

  • During the summer, we would while away the afternoons relaxing by the pool.

  • I could while away the hours

    The Wizard of Oz (1939)

  • To while away the time spent waiting for his appointment to be confirmed, we play cards.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Then the Back to the Future card game is the perfect way to while away those cold winter nights with friends.

    Blog text (4)

  • All she had to look forward to was an empty house and the television remote control to help her while away another empty evening.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • I while away the hours wandering from stall to stall.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Adventure Time is set in the Land of Ooo, where Finn and Jake while away many happy daydreaming hours.

    Blog text (26)

  • The story is told that a colleague once tried to give him a book with which to while away the hours on a long train journey, but Dirac refused the gift, explaining that reading interfered with thought.

    Academic text (1992)

  • She often whiled away her weekends reading novels in her favorite chair.

  • The children whiled away the rainy day playing board games indoors.

Synonyms

to while
vsto while away
3 6.0

To spend time in a relaxed way

appears as a common two-word phrasal verb in everyday use

Antonyms

to hurry
∞ 1.0

To move or act quickly because there is little time

rush
1 4.1

Done quickly under pressure with less care than usual

How Leisurely

to laze
7 4.3
to while away
6 4.5
to lounge
12 2.7
to burn time
  • Informal
7.5

Surface Forms

while away infinitive
while awayed past
while awayed past participle
while awaying present participle
while aways third person singular

Morphology

while + away

The components give a clear hint: 'while' = a span of time and 'away' suggests continuation or passing, so together they imply making time pass. However, the verbial use of 'while' with the particle 'away' and the specific nuance of leisurely or aimless spending of time is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb while away comes from the simple idea of making a short time, the while, go away by filling it with something pleasant. Imagine you have an hour to fill and you read until the time seems to disappear, and that's why while away means 'to spend time in a relaxed or pleasant way'.