kill-time
Definition
Noun (informal): A "kill-time" refers to an activity or pastime undertaken primarily to occupy spare time or to make time pass more quickly, especially when waiting or bored.
Usage Examples
- (A simple activity to fill idle moments.)
- (An enjoyable way to make the journey seem shorter.)
Advanced Usage
"a mere kill-time": Used to emphasize that an activity has no deeper purpose than passing time.
- Scrolling through social media is a mere kill-time for him. (He does it only to avoid boredom, not for meaningful engagement.)
"to use something as a kill-time": To employ an object or activity for the sole purpose of occupying time.
- She used crossword puzzles as a kill-time during her commute. (She solved them to make the travel time feel shorter.)
Variants and Related Words
Kill-time (adj): Describing something that serves to pass time.
- He brought a kill-time book to the doctor's appointment. (A book intended to fill waiting time.)
Time-killer (n): A synonym for kill-time; an activity or thing that helps pass time.
- Solitaire is a classic time-killer. (A game often played to occupy spare moments.)
Synonyms
- Pastime: an activity that someone does regularly for enjoyment rather than work.
- Diversion: something that distracts the mind or turns attention away from serious matters.
- Amusement: something that provides entertainment or pleasure.
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Kill time (phrasal verb): To spend time doing something while waiting for something else.
- We killed time by walking around the mall before the movie. (We passed the waiting period by strolling.)
While away the time: To spend time in a leisurely or pleasant manner.
- She whiled away the afternoon reading novels. (She filled the afternoon pleasantly with reading.)