wasting time

VERB

idle away time

Synonyms

WEAK

burn daylight dally dawdle delay dillydally fiddle about fritter away time goof off kill time linger loiter lollygag lose time pass the time piddle procrastinate shilly-shally take one's own sweet time take one's time tarry while away the time

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Then he burned almost two minutes with a song-and-dance number about not wasting time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Through this, you can create your own career check list, and avoid wasting time on ill-fitting applications.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

Collateral estoppel protects courts from wasting time, litigants from wasting money and the rule of law from death by a thousand cuts.

From Salon • Jun. 30, 2025

They’re not wasting time thinking, “I wish I was thinner, bigger, shorter” — they use all their capacity of sight, smell, hearing and their bodily potential.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025

“Why are you wasting time with a boy like that?” she scolds.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline