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Glite Dictionary
to have a good time

to have a good time

504 1.4
To enjoy yourself at an event or activity
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : pasarlo bien
  • I hope you have a good time at the concert tonight!
  • want to have a good time
  • just have a good time
  • simply have a good time

All I know is I had a good time after the fight, right?

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Examples

  • Did you have a good time?

    Ezra (2024)

  • I hope Walter and Nadia are having a good time.

    Blind Date (1987)

  • Stay safe, stay out of trouble, but have a good time, OK?

  • OK, have a good time and see you tomorrow.

  • I came to explore and to have a good time with my friends.

    Johnny Harris

  • I like to have a good time.

    Hit Man (2024)

  • You two go ahead and have a good time, okay?

    Hack-O-Lantern (1988)

  • I'm having a good time.

    Grapes on a Vine (2008)

  • We spent the afternoon at the lake and had a good time swimming, talking, and enjoying the view.

    Academic text (1992)

  • As hostess, I expect you to make sure every guest has a good time.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

to enjoy
vsto have a good time
∞ 1.0

To feel happy because of something you do or see

is doing that specifically while taking part in an event or activity
to have a blast
vsto have a good time
  • Informal
41 5.2

To enjoy yourself a lot

is milder enjoyment rather than extreme excitement
to have a ball
vsto have a good time
  • Informal
31 6.5

Enjoy yourself a lot

is general enjoyment without the strong emphasis on intensity
to have a laugh
vsto have a good time
  • Informal
13 1.6

Enjoy something funny and laugh with others

is broader ongoing pleasure not limited to a brief joke
good time of it
vsto have a good time
3.3

To have a lot of fun during an event or time

is general personal enjoyment during an activity rather than across time

Antonyms

to suffer
∞ 2.0

To feel pain or be ill

bad time of it
1 6.1

A time when someone has trouble

How Enjoyable

the time of one's life
  • Informal
29 3.7
to have a blast
  • Informal
41 5.2
to have a good time
504 1.4

Surface Forms

have a good time infinitive
had a good time past
had a good time past participle
having a good time present participle
has a good time third person singular

Morphology

have + a + good + time

The meaning 'to enjoy yourself' is directly derivable from combining 'have' (to experience) with 'a good time' (a pleasurable occasion); each constituent contributes transparently to the overall sense. This is a standard, compositional English phrase (paralleled in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the individual words will readily understand it.

Etymology

Have a good time comes from a simple picture: have meaning 'to take or hold' and time meaning 'a period you spend doing something'. So, that picture explains why the phrase means 'to enjoy yourself'.