English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
Kill time
Meaning
The idiom "kill time" means to spend time doing something in order to pass the time until something else happens or to avoid doing a task or activity that is considered boring or unappealing. It can also mean to waste time, usually unintentionally.
Usage
- She spends most of her days at work, killing time until she retires.
- We killed time by watching movies on Netflix during the lockdown.
- I kill time by playing video games when I'm bored at home.
- During the long flight, we killed time by reading magazines and watching movies.
- My friend kills time by volunteering at the local animal shelter. The usage of this idiom can vary depending on the context. For example, in the first sentence, "killing time" is used negatively to indicate that the person is not doing anything productive with their time. In contrast, in the second and third sentences, "killing time" is used more neutrally to describe how people pass the time.
Roots and History
The origin of this idiom is unclear, but it may have evolved from the idea of killing a long period of time or simply from the literal meaning of "killing" something. It has been in use since at least the 19th century, according to Oxford English Dictionary.
Synonyms in English
- Bide one's time
- Pass the time
- Wait out time
- Stretch one's time
- Waste time
Synonyms in other languages
- French: "Tuer du temps" - This idiom has a similar meaning, but is more commonly used to describe intentionally wasting time.
- Spanish: "Hacer tiempo" - This idiom means to wait or pass time until something happens.
- Italian: "Attendere un momento" - This idiom means to wait a moment or pass time until something happens.
- German: "Zeitverweiler" - This idiom means time-killer, but is less commonly used and can be difficult to translate into English.