Time slips through our fingers like sand, and idioms for wasting time bring that feeling to life. Each one paints a picture—hours drifting aimlessly, minutes fluttering away like autumn leaves. You’ll find phrases that sound playful, sharp, or even a bit regretful, all circling the idea of lost time.
Let’s explore the words that turn waiting and wandering into vivid language.
Best Idioms for Wasting Time
1. Procrastinate
Meaning: Putting off tasks or delaying action unnecessarily, often due to laziness or avoidance.
In a Sentence:
He tends to procrastinate when facing difficult assignments.
I regretted procrastinating all week instead of finishing early.
Other Ways to Say: Delay. Stall. Put things off.
2. Delay
Meaning: Failing to start or complete something on time, often causing setbacks.
In a Sentence:
They delayed the meeting due to bad weather.
Her habit of delay frustrated her coworkers.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone. Hold off. Push back.
3. Dawdle
Meaning: Moving or working slowly, often wasting time with unimportant tasks.
In a Sentence:
Stop dawdling and finish your homework!
She dawdled on her way to school, enjoying the sunshine.
Other Ways to Say: Linger. Loiter. Waste time.
4. Drag your feet
Meaning: Acting slowly or reluctantly, often to avoid doing something.
In a Sentence:
He’s dragging his feet about signing the contract.
They dragged their feet when asked to clean up.
Other Ways to Say: Stall. Hesitate. Hold back.
5. Put off until tomorrow
Meaning: Delaying something that could be done today, postponing it unnecessarily.
In a Sentence:
She keeps putting off her dentist appointment until tomorrow.
I regret putting off my studies until the last minute.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone. Delay. Defer.
6. Sit on your hands
Meaning: Failing to take action or do anything despite having the chance.
In a Sentence:
The team sat on their hands instead of solving the problem.
He sat on his hands while others stepped up to help.
Other Ways to Say: Stay idle. Do nothing. Hold back.
7. Take your sweet time
Meaning: Doing something very slowly and without any rush, often annoyingly so.
In a Sentence:
She took her sweet time getting ready for the party.
He’s taking his sweet time to reply to the email.
Other Ways to Say: Move slowly. Linger. Delay.
8. Lollygag
Meaning: Spending time aimlessly or doing unimportant things instead of being productive.
In a Sentence:
The kids lollygagged at the park instead of coming home.
He was lollygagging around the office all morning.
Other Ways to Say: Fool around. Dawdle. Waste time.
9. Dilly-dally
Meaning: Wasting time by being indecisive or moving too slowly.
In a Sentence:
Quit dilly-dallying and make a decision!
They missed the train because they dilly-dallied too long.
Other Ways to Say: Hesitate. Dawdle. Waste time.
10. Stall for time
Meaning: Intentionally delaying or slowing things down to gain more time.
In a Sentence:
The lawyer stalled for time to prepare his argument.
She asked pointless questions to stall for time.
Other Ways to Say: Buy time. Hold off. Delay.
11. A waste of time
Meaning: An activity or effort that produces no useful result or value.
In a Sentence:
That long meeting was a total waste of time.
Scrolling endlessly on social media feels like a waste of time.
Other Ways to Say: Pointless. Futile. Time sink.
12. Waste breath
Meaning: To speak or argue pointlessly, knowing it won’t change anything.
In a Sentence:
Don’t waste your breath arguing with him.
She wasted her breath trying to explain it again.
Other Ways to Say: Talk in vain. Pointless argument. No use talking.
13. Goof off
Meaning: Avoid work by doing silly or unproductive things instead.
In a Sentence:
The students goofed off when the teacher left the room.
He spent the afternoon goofing off at the mall.
Other Ways to Say: Mess around. Fool around. Laze about.
14. Kill time
Meaning: Do something trivial to make time pass while waiting.
In a Sentence:
We played cards to kill time before the flight.
She watched videos to kill time at the doctor’s office.
Other Ways to Say: Pass the time. Fill the gap. Idle away.
15. Fiddle around
Meaning: Spend time doing small or unimportant things without real purpose.
In a Sentence:
He fiddled around with his phone all evening.
They fiddled around in the garage instead of fixing the car.
Other Ways to Say: Tinker. Mess around. Play with.
Related Post: 50 Best Idioms for Anger and Frustration
16. Mess around
Meaning: Waste time by doing unimportant or silly things.
In a Sentence:
Stop messing around and focus on your work!
They messed around at the park for hours.
Other Ways to Say: Fool around. Goof off. Play around.
17. Spin your wheels
Meaning: Work hard but make no real progress or achieve nothing.
In a Sentence:
We’ve been spinning our wheels with this project for weeks.
She felt like she was just spinning her wheels at her old job.
Other Ways to Say: Get nowhere. Stuck in place. No progress.
18. Chase your tail
Meaning: Stay busy but achieve nothing meaningful, often repeating useless actions.
In a Sentence:
I’m chasing my tail trying to organize this event alone.
They chased their tails all day but didn’t finish the task.
Other Ways to Say: Go in circles. Waste effort. Run around pointlessly.
19. Fritter away time
Meaning: Waste small amounts of time doing unimportant things that add up.
In a Sentence:
She frittered away the afternoon browsing online shops.
Don’t waste time when deadlines are near.
Other Ways to Say: Squander time. Idle away. Waste hours.
20. Beat a dead horse
Meaning: Keep trying or discussing something that’s already failed or settled.
In a Sentence:
There’s no point in beating a dead horse—we’ve moved on.
He kept bringing it up, but it felt like beating a dead horse.
Other Ways to Say: Rehash. Go over old ground. Drag out.
21. Burn daylight
Meaning: Waste useful time, especially during the day when work could be done.
In a Sentence:
Let’s stop chatting—we’re burning daylight!
They burned daylight waiting for instructions.
Other Ways to Say: Waste time. Lose valuable hours. Delay action.
22. Twiddle your thumbs
Meaning: Sit around idly with nothing to do, often waiting.
In a Sentence:
We sat there twiddling our thumbs while the system rebooted.
She hates twiddling her thumbs and always finds something to do.
Other Ways to Say: Wait idly. Do nothing. Kill time.
23. Fool around
Meaning: Spend time doing silly or unserious activities instead of working.
In a Sentence:
They fooled around instead of focusing on their homework.
Stop fooling around and help clean up!
Other Ways to Say: Mess around. Goof off. Waste time.
24. Loaf around
Meaning: Spend time being lazy or inactive, doing nothing productive.
In a Sentence:
We loafed around all Sunday, watching movies.
He loafs around the house all day during vacations.
Other Ways to Say: Laze about. Lounge. Be idle.
25. Hang around
Meaning: Stay in one place without doing anything useful or specific.
In a Sentence:
They hung around the café waiting for their friends.
He hung around the lobby after the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Linger. Stick around. Kill time.
26. Piddle around
Meaning: Waste time on trivial tasks instead of doing something meaningful.
In a Sentence:
She piddled around the kitchen instead of starting dinner.
He spent the afternoon piddling around with old tools.
Other Ways to Say: Fiddle around. Mess about. Waste time.
27. Mark time
Meaning: Stay in a holding pattern or wait without making progress.
In a Sentence:
We’re just marking time until the new boss arrives.
He felt like he was marking time in a job with no growth.
Other Ways to Say: Stay idle. Hold steady. Wait it out.
28. Waste away the hours
Meaning: Let hours pass by without doing anything significant.
In a Sentence:
They wasted away the hours chatting on the porch.
I wasted away the hours watching random videos.
Other Ways to Say: Kill time. Pass time idly. Idle away.
29. Idle away time
Meaning: Spend time relaxing or doing nothing important.
In a Sentence:
He idled away the afternoon reading magazines.
We idled away time by strolling around the park.
Other Ways to Say: Laze around. Drift through time. Pass the hours.
30. Potter around
Meaning: Do small, unimportant tasks in a relaxed way, without urgency.
In a Sentence:
She pottered around the garden all morning.
I love pottering around the house on weekends.
Other Ways to Say: Tinker. Fiddle around. Putter.
31. Bide your time
Meaning: Wait patiently for the right moment to act.
In a Sentence:
She’s biding her time before making her next move.
He bided his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Other Ways to Say: Wait it out. Hold back. Stay patient.
32. Merry chase
Meaning: Lead someone on a long, pointless pursuit that wastes time.
In a Sentence:
He led us on a merry chase before finally showing up.
The search for the files turned into a merry chase.
Other Ways to Say: Wild goose chase. Pointless hunt. Runaround.
33. Sit tight
Meaning: Stay put and wait calmly without taking action.
In a Sentence:
We were told to sit tight until help arrived.
Just sit tight—the doctor will be with you soon.
Other Ways to Say: Hold still. Stay calm. Wait patiently.
34. Cool your heels
Meaning: Wait for a long time, often with frustration.
In a Sentence:
They made us cool our heels in the lobby for an hour.
He cooled his heels while waiting for the interview.
Other Ways to Say: Wait around. Be kept waiting. Kill time.
35. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait or be patient, often to avoid rushing into something.
In a Sentence:
Hold your horses—we haven’t finished discussing it yet.
She wanted to leave, but I told her to hold her horses.
Other Ways to Say: Slow down. Be patient. Hang on.
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Working Hard with Real Impact
36. Kick your heels
Meaning: Wait idly, usually feeling bored or impatient.
In a Sentence:
We kicked our heels outside the theater for half an hour.
He was left kicking his heels while the others prepared.
Other Ways to Say: Linger. Wait around. Kill time.
37. Wait for the dust to settle
Meaning: Delay action until a situation becomes clearer or more stable.
In a Sentence:
Let’s wait for the dust to settle before making a decision.
They waited for the dust to settle after the big announcement.
Other Ways to Say: Hold off. Wait it out. Pause.
38. Let the grass grow under your feet
Meaning: Be slow to act or hesitate instead of taking prompt action.
In a Sentence:
He never lets the grass grow under his feet—always moving fast.
She let the grass grow under her feet and missed the chance.
Other Ways to Say: Hesitate. Delay. Be sluggish.
39. Lie in wait
Meaning: Stay hidden and wait for the right time to act, often with a purpose.
In a Sentence:
The cat lay in wait for the mouse.
They lay in wait to catch the surprise guest.
Other Ways to Say: Stay hidden. Watch and wait. Be on standby.
40. Hang fire
Meaning: Delay or pause progress, often due to uncertainty or obstacles.
In a Sentence:
The project is hanging fire until funding is secured.
We had to hang fire while waiting for approval.
Other Ways to Say: Be on hold. Stall. Pause.
41. Lose time
Meaning: Let time pass without using it effectively, often leading to regret.
In a Sentence:
We lost time searching for the right address.
She felt she had lost time by waiting too long to apply.
Other Ways to Say: Waste time. Miss out. Delay progress.
42. Turn back time
Meaning: Wish to return to the past to correct mistakes or relive moments.
In a Sentence:
He wished he could turn back time and change his decision.
If only we could turn back time to that perfect summer.
Other Ways to Say: Reverse time. Go back. Rewind life.
43. Behind the times
Meaning: Being outdated or not keeping up with current trends or knowledge.
In a Sentence:
That company’s technology is really behind the times.
She’s a bit behind the times when it comes to fashion.
Other Ways to Say: Outdated. Old-fashioned. Out of touch.
44. Miss the boat
Meaning: Fail to seize an opportunity due to hesitation or lateness.
In a Sentence:
He missed the boat by not investing early.
I wanted tickets, but I missed the boat—they’re sold out.
Other Ways to Say: Miss out. Lose the chance. Let it slip away.
45. Let the moment pass
Meaning: Fail to act when the ideal opportunity arises.
In a Sentence:
She let the moment pass and never confessed her feelings.
He regretted letting the moment pass during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Miss out. Hesitate. Lose your chance.
46. Run out the clock
Meaning: Intentionally waste time to avoid action or delay a result.
In a Sentence:
The team ran out the clock to secure their win.
He kept talking about running out the clock at the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Stall. Buy time. Delay.
47. Time slips through your fingers
Meaning: Time passes quickly, often without being noticed or used well.
In a Sentence:
Vacation was over so fast—time slipped through our fingers.
She felt time slipping through her fingers as the deadline neared.
Other Ways to Say: Time flies. Lose track of time. Fade away.
48. Let time slip away
Meaning: Allow time to pass without doing anything valuable or productive.
In a Sentence:
We let time slip away and missed our chance.
He regretted letting time slip away without pursuing his dream.
Other Ways to Say: Waste time. Drift. Miss opportunities.
49. Waste an opportunity
Meaning: Fail to make use of a chance to achieve something.
In a Sentence:
She wasted a golden opportunity to advance her career.
They wasted the opportunity by not preparing well.
Other Ways to Say: Miss out. Blow your chance. Let it go to waste.
50. Beat the clock
Meaning: Finish something just in time before a deadline or limit expires.
In a Sentence:
We beat the clock and submitted the proposal minutes before closing.
He beat the clock by catching the last train home.
Other Ways to Say: Make the deadline. Finish in time. Wrap up quickly.
Exercise to Practice – Idioms for Wasting Time
- She decided to __________ and wait for better timing.
- They __________ for hours, doing nothing useful.
- He __________ and lost the opportunity to apply.
- We had to __________ while waiting for instructions.
- Stop __________—the deadline is today!
- She __________ on her hands instead of helping out.
- He __________ his time getting ready, making us late.
- They __________ until the last minute to submit the form.
- We were __________ our thumbs in the waiting room.
- I don’t want to __________ and regret missing my chance.
Answers
- bide her time
- messed around
- dilly-dallied
- hang around
- procrastinating
- sat on her hands
- took his sweet time
- put it off
- twiddling
- let the moment pass
Conclusion
From idle hours to missed chances, idioms for wasting time help us capture those moments with color and clarity. These expressions turn ordinary delays into stories we can feel and picture. Try weaving a few into your next chat or piece of writing—you’ll see how quickly your words come alive. What’s your go-to idiom when time seems to drift away?
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.
