pastime

/'pɑ:staim/

Thân thiện

Reading is a relaxing pastime for many people.

Definition

Noun An activity that someone does regularly for enjoyment rather than for work; a hobby or pleasant way of passing time.

Usage

"Pastime" is a countable noun used to describe a leisure activity that provides pleasure and occupies one's free time. It is a neutral to positive term, implying a harmless or enjoyable diversion.

Examples

• Reading is a popular pastime for people of all ages.
• His favorite pastime is gardening on the weekends.
• They considered hiking not just exercise, but a relaxing pastime.

Advanced Usage

• "To make a pastime of (doing) something": To adopt an activity as a regular hobby.
  • After retiring, he made a pastime of painting landscapes.
• "A national pastime": An activity that is extremely popular and characteristic within a particular country.
  • Baseball is often called America's national pastime.

Variants and Related Words

• Pastimer (noun, rare): A person who engages in a pastime. (This form is very uncommon; "enthusiast" or "hobbyist" is preferred.)

Synonyms

• Hobby: An activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.
• Recreation: Activity done for enjoyment when one is not working.
• Diversion: Something that takes your attention away from routine.
• Leisure activity: A general term for any non-work pursuit.

Antonyms

• Work
• Occupation
• Labor
• Chore

Idioms and Phrases

• "A harmless pastime": An activity that is considered enjoyable and without negative consequences.
  • For many, birdwatching is a harmless pastime that connects them with nature.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)
   • sailing is her favorite pastime
   • his main pastime is gambling
   • he counts reading among his interests
   • they criticized the boy for his limited pursuits

Từ đồng nghĩa

• interest
• pursuit