Every second tells a story, and idioms for time help us express those stories in colorful ways. From rushing deadlines to endless afternoons, time shapes how we feel and what we say. With just a few well-chosen words, you can turn a simple moment into something vivid and memorable. Get ready to discover expressions that make time feel alive and real.
Best Idioms for Time
1. Wait and see
Meaning: Be patient and observe what happens before taking any action.
In a Sentence:
We’ll wait and see how the situation develops.
He decided to wait and see before making a decision.
Other Ways to Say: Hold off. Stand by. Let it play out.
2. Waiting in the wings
Meaning: Be ready to act or step in when the opportunity arises.
In a Sentence:
She’s waiting in the wings for a promotion.
The substitute player was waiting in the wings.
Other Ways to Say: On standby. Ready to step up. Standing by.
3. Bide your time
Meaning: Wait patiently for the best opportunity to act.
In a Sentence:
He’s biding his time before making his move.
She wisely bided her time until the market improved.
Other Ways to Say: Hold back. Wait it out. Stay patient.
4. Hold your horses
Meaning: Slow down or wait patiently instead of acting too quickly.
In a Sentence:
Hold your horses—we haven’t finalized the plans yet.
She told him to hold his horses and think carefully.
Other Ways to Say: Be patient. Slow down. Wait up.
5. Keep your powder dry
Meaning: Stay prepared but wait to act until the right moment.
In a Sentence:
They kept their powder dry, waiting for the right deal.
You should keep your powder dry and not rush into it.
Other Ways to Say: Stay ready. Be cautious. Wait to act.
6. Play the waiting game
Meaning: Wait strategically to gain an advantage.
In a Sentence:
We’re playing the waiting game until prices drop.
The lawyer played the waiting game to pressure the opposition.
Other Ways to Say: Delay tactics. Wait strategically. Stall.
7. Wait for the right moment
Meaning: Be patient and act only when the time is ideal.
In a Sentence:
She waited for the right moment to speak up.
It’s smart to wait for the right moment to invest.
Other Ways to Say: Wait your turn. Be patient. Choose your timing.
8. Stand by
Meaning: Be ready and waiting to act when needed.
In a Sentence:
The team is standing by for further instructions.
Paramedics stood by during the event.
Other Ways to Say: Be on call. Ready to assist. Stay prepared.
9. Hang fire
Meaning: Delay or wait before moving forward with a plan.
In a Sentence:
The launch is holding fire until they resolve the issue.
We decided to hang fire until we had more data.
Other Ways to Say: Pause. Hold off. Wait.
10. Mark time
Meaning: Stay in a holding pattern, waiting without progress.
In a Sentence:
We’re marking time until the new budget is approved.
He felt like he was just marking time in that job.
Other Ways to Say: Wait it out. Stay idle. Stall.
11. Wait around
Meaning: Stay somewhere doing nothing useful while waiting.
In a Sentence:
We waited around for hours before the show started.
He’s been waiting around for a reply all day.
Other Ways to Say: Hang around. Loiter. Linger.
12. Twiddle your thumbs
Meaning: Sit idly doing nothing, usually while waiting.
In a Sentence:
They sat there twiddling their thumbs during the delay.
I hate twiddling my thumbs at the airport.
Other Ways to Say: Wait idly. Be inactive. Kill time.
13. Clock watching
Meaning: Keep looking at the time repeatedly, often out of boredom or impatience.
In a Sentence:
He spent the afternoon clock-watching at work.
She kept clock-watching during the long meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Keep checking the time. Be restless. Watch the clock.
14. Sit
Meaning: Wait passively without taking any action.
In a Sentence:
They just sat and waited for news.
We sat there, hoping for an update.
Other Ways to Say: Stay still. Remain. Sit tight.
15. Cool your heels
Meaning: Wait for a long time, often unwillingly.
In a Sentence:
We cooled our heels outside the office for an hour.
He was made to cool his heels in the lobby.
Other Ways to Say: Wait around. Be kept waiting. Hang back.
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Waiting to Master Patience in Style
16. Kick your heels
Meaning: Wait idly and often feel bored while doing so.
In a Sentence:
They kicked their heels until the concert began.
I had to kick my heels for 30 minutes before my turn.
Other Ways to Say: Linger. Wait around. Kill time.
17. Loiter about
Meaning: Stay in a place without doing anything important, often while waiting.
In a Sentence:
Teenagers loitered about the shopping mall entrance.
We loitered about the café waiting for friends.
Other Ways to Say: Hang around. Linger. Drift.
18. Hang around
Meaning: Stay in a place without a clear purpose, usually waiting.
In a Sentence:
I hung around after class to talk to the teacher.
They hung around the station waiting for the bus.
Other Ways to Say: Wait around. Linger. Loiter.
19. Linger on
Meaning: Stay longer than necessary, either out of hesitation or laziness.
In a Sentence:
He lingered on after the meeting had ended.
She lingered on at the door, unsure if she should leave.
Other Ways to Say: Stay behind. Delay leaving. Hesitate.
20. Dally
Meaning: Waste time or delay doing something without good reason.
In a Sentence:
Stop dallying and finish your work.
He dallied at the store instead of coming home.
Other Ways to Say: Dawdle. Linger. Waste time.
21. Catch the next wave
Meaning: Wait and be ready to take advantage of the next opportunity.
In a Sentence:
We missed this chance, but we’ll catch the next wave.
She’s planning to catch the next wave of tech innovations.
Other Ways to Say: Seize the next chance. Wait for another shot. Jump in later.
22. On the waiting list
Meaning: Officially registered and waiting for a turn or opportunity.
In a Sentence:
I’m on the waiting list for the new apartment.
She’s been on the waiting list for months.
Other Ways to Say: Pending. Registered. In line.
23. Wait
Meaning: Pause action until something happens or a result is ready.
In a Sentence:
We have to wait for approval before starting.
She waited patiently for her test results.
Other Ways to Say: Hold on. Pause. Stay put.
24. Lie in wait
Meaning: Secretly stay ready to act, usually to surprise or take advantage.
In a Sentence:
The hunters lay in wait for hours.
She lay in wait to seize her moment.
Other Ways to Say: Stay hidden. Watch and wait. Be poised.
25. Hold your breath
Meaning: Wait in a state of suspense or high expectation.
In a Sentence:
We held our breath as the winner was announced.
She held her breath waiting for his reply.
Other Ways to Say: Wait anxiously. Stay tense. Be on edge.
26. Stand in line
Meaning: Wait in order with others for your turn.
In a Sentence:
We stood in line for concert tickets.
She had to stand in line for hours at the bank.
Other Ways to Say: Queue. Line up. Wait your turn.
27. Queue up
Meaning: Form or join a line to wait for your turn.
In a Sentence:
People queued up early for the sale.
They queued up outside the stadium.
Other Ways to Say: Line up. Wait in line. Stand in line.
28. Be on standby
Meaning: Be prepared and ready to act or help when needed.
In a Sentence:
The backup team is on standby.
I’m on standby in case someone cancels.
Other Ways to Say: Be ready. Stay prepared. Be at the ready.
29. Wait in the queue
Meaning: Remain in line, waiting for your turn or opportunity.
In a Sentence:
We waited in the queue for our passports.
She waited in the queue at the coffee shop.
Other Ways to Say: Line up. Stand in line. Queue.
30. Be next in line
Meaning: Be the person who will receive an opportunity or service next.
In a Sentence:
I was next in line when they closed the counter.
He’s next in line for a promotion.
Other Ways to Say: Up next. Awaiting your turn. On deck.
31. Watched pot never boils
Meaning: Time seems to pass more slowly when you’re anxiously waiting for something.
In a Sentence:
Stop checking your phone—a watched pot never boils!
She felt like a watched pot never boils while waiting for his call.
Other Ways to Say: Time drags. Feels endless. Takes forever.
32. Accident waiting to happen
Meaning: A situation that is dangerous and likely to lead to problems if nothing changes.
In a Sentence:
That broken step is an accident waiting to happen.
Ignoring safety checks is an accident waiting to happen.
Other Ways to Say: Disaster in the making. Ticking time bomb. Risky situation.
33. Waiting for
Meaning: Expecting a specific event or result, often with anxiety.
In a Sentence:
I’m waiting for the doctor’s report.
She’s nervously waiting for the exam results.
Other Ways to Say: Expecting. Anticipating. Holding on.
34. On tenterhooks
Meaning: Feeling nervous and tense while waiting for something.
In a Sentence:
We were on tenterhooks during the final minutes of the game.
He’s on tenterhooks waiting for his job interview results.
Other Ways to Say: On edge. Nervous. Anxious.
35. Sweat it out
Meaning: Wait anxiously, often in a stressful or pressured situation.
In a Sentence:
We had to sweat it out before hearing the verdict.
She sweated it out waiting for the call back.
Other Ways to Say: Worry. Be anxious. Endure suspense.
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Working Hard with Real Impact
36. Hold your nerve
Meaning: Stay calm and composed in a stressful or tense situation.
In a Sentence:
He held his nerve during the tough negotiation.
She held her nerve and didn’t panic in the exam.
Other Ways to Say: Stay calm. Keep steady. Be composed.
37. Bite your nails
Meaning: Be very nervous or anxious while waiting.
In a Sentence:
I was biting my nails waiting for the test scores.
They bit their nails during the penalty shootout.
Other Ways to Say: Be anxious. Worry. Be tense.
38. Be on edge
Meaning: Feel very tense, nervous, or irritable while waiting.
In a Sentence:
He’s been on edge all day about the interview.
We were on edge waiting for the storm to pass.
Other Ways to Say: Nervous. Tense. Restless.
39. Wait with bated breath
Meaning: Wait in a state of suspense, excitement, or anxiety.
In a Sentence:
We waited with bated breath for the results.
She waited with bated breath for his answer.
Other Ways to Say: Anxiously await. Hold your breath. Be on tenterhooks.
40. Be in suspense
Meaning: Experience a state of tension and uncertainty while waiting for something.
In a Sentence:
We were in suspense until the winner was announced.
He’s in suspense over the outcome of his application.
Other Ways to Say: Be tense. Be anxious. Be on tenterhooks.
41. Wait until the dust settles
Meaning: Delay action until a situation becomes clearer or more stable.
In a Sentence:
We’ll wait until the dust settles before making any big decisions.
She advised waiting until the dust settles after the reorganization.
Other Ways to Say: Hold off. Pause. Wait it out.
42. Wait up
Meaning: Pause or stop to allow someone to catch up.
In a Sentence:
Hey, wait up! I’m coming too.
He shouted for his friend to wait up as he tied his shoes.
Other Ways to Say: Hold on. Stop. Slow down.
43. Wait on hand and foot
Meaning: Serve someone completely, attending to all their needs.
In a Sentence:
She waited on her guest’s hands and feet all weekend.
He expects to be waited on hand and foot at home.
Other Ways to Say: Pamper. Serve completely. Cater to.
44. Sit tight
Meaning: Stay put and do nothing while waiting for further instructions.
In a Sentence:
Just sit tight—we’ll handle it from here.
We were told to sit tight during the power outage.
Other Ways to Say: Stay put. Wait calmly. Hold on.
45. Hold off
Meaning: Delay taking action until a better time.
In a Sentence:
Let’s hold off on signing until we review the details.
He held off making a decision until Monday.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone. Pause. Delay.
46. Put on hold
Meaning: Temporarily stop or pause a plan or action.
In a Sentence:
The project was put on hold due to budget cuts.
We’ve put the wedding on hold until next year.
Other Ways to Say: Pause. Suspend. Delay.
47. Stay put
Meaning: Remain in the same place and wait.
In a Sentence:
Stay put until the rescue team arrives.
She stayed put despite the heavy rain.
Other Ways to Say: Remain. Hold your position. Don’t move.
48. Hang back
Meaning: Hesitate or stay behind instead of stepping forward immediately.
In a Sentence:
He hung back, unsure whether to join in.
They hung back while others went ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Hold off. Stay behind. Hesitate.
49. Pause for thought
Meaning: Stop briefly to reflect before making a decision.
In a Sentence:
His question made me pause for thought.
We paused for thought before replying to the offer.
Other Ways to Say: Reflect. Think it over. Consider.
50. Wait it out
Meaning: Endure a difficult situation by waiting until it’s over.
In a Sentence:
We waited it out during the storm.
He decided to wait it out rather than give up.
Other Ways to Say: Endure. Hold on. Tough it out.
Exercise to practice
- She had to __________ while the team finished preparing.
- We stood there and __________ until the doors opened.
- He decided to __________ before making his final decision.
- Everyone was __________ as they waited for the announcement.
- Let’s __________ for a bit and see what happens next.
- They __________ nervously during the long silence.
- I told him to __________ until we got more information.
- We all __________ for hours without any news.
- She kept __________ at the clock during the meeting.
- He chose to __________ and let others go first.
Answers
- sit tight
- wait around
- bide his time
- on tenterhooks
- wait and see
- bit their nails
- hold off
- hung around
- clock watching
- hang back
Conclusion
The way idioms for time capture life’s passing moments is both vivid and memorable. Each phrase paints a picture—of rushing, waiting, or making every second count. Add a few to your daily speech or writing and watch your language become more colorful. Did any idiom leave a strong impression on you? Drop your thoughts below!
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
