From the timeless ticking of the clock to the urgency of deadlines, each phrase paints a vivid picture of how we perceive and interact with time in our daily lives.
Idioms for Time
“Killing Time”
Meaning: To pass time, often in a leisurely or unproductive way.
In a Sentence: As I waited for my friend at the cafe, I found myself killing time by flipping through a well-worn novel.
“Time Flies”
Meaning: Time passes quickly.
In a Sentence: Graduation day arrived, and I couldn’t help but marvel at how time flies when you’re caught up in the whirlwind of academia.
“Time is of the Essence”
Meaning: Time is important or critical, and something must be done quickly or efficiently.
In a Sentence: When the fire alarm rang, we knew that time was of the essence, and evacuating the building became our top priority.
“Time is Money”
Meaning: The more time one spends on something, the more it will cost.
In a Sentence: In the fast-paced world of freelancing, I’ve learned that time is money, and every minute spent on a project impacts my earnings.
“Bide One’s Time”
Meaning: To wait patiently for an opportunity.
In a Sentence: Job seekers often find themselves biding their time, waiting for the perfect opening in the job market.
“Against the Clock”
Meaning: Working quickly against a deadline.
In a Sentence: With the project due tomorrow, the team worked against the clock to ensure everything was completed on time.
“On Borrowed Time”
Meaning: Something is continuing longer than it should or is expected to.
In a Sentence: After surviving a near-fatal accident, he felt like he was living on borrowed time, appreciating every moment as a gift.
“Time is a Healer”
Meaning: Over time, wounds or difficulties will heal or resolve themselves.
In a Sentence: Going through a tough breakup, I clung to the belief that time is a healer, trusting that the pain would eventually subside.
“Time Out”
Meaning: To take a break or pause from something.
In a Sentence: Faced with a challenging problem, sometimes taking a time-out and returning with fresh eyes leads to a better solution.
“Time Will Tell”
Meaning: The outcome of something cannot be predicted, and only time will reveal what will happen.
In a Sentence: As we launched the new product, uncertainty loomed, and only time will tell if it will be a success in the market.
“Time Stands Still”
Meaning: Time seems to stop or pass very slowly.
In a Sentence: Watching the sunset from the mountaintop, it felt as if time stood still, allowing us to savor the breathtaking moment.
“Time Marches On”
Meaning: Time continues to pass, regardless of what is happening.
In a Sentence: Despite the challenges we faced, the realization that time marches on provided a sense of hope for a better future.
“Time and Tide Wait for No Man”
Meaning: Time and the natural world cannot be stopped or controlled.
In a Sentence: Procrastination only leads to regrets; after all, time and tide wait for no man.
“Waste of Time”
Meaning: Something is not productive or worthwhile.
In a Sentence: Spending hours scrolling through social media can feel like a significant waste of time, leaving little room for meaningful activities.
“In the Nick of Time”
Meaning: At the last possible moment.
In a Sentence: The rescue team arrived in the nick of time, saving the stranded hikers just before the storm hit.
“It’s About Time”
Meaning: It is overdue or something should have happened a long time ago.
In a Sentence: When the overdue promotion finally came through, I couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s about time!”
“Time and Again”
Meaning: Repeatedly or frequently.
In a Sentence: Despite numerous setbacks, he tried time and again to start his own business, showing remarkable resilience.
“Time-Honored”
Meaning: Something has been around for a long time and is respected because of its age.
In a Sentence: The time-honored traditions of the community festival brought together generations in celebration.
“Time is Running Out”
Meaning: There is very little time left to do something.
In a Sentence: As the deadline approached, the sense of urgency intensified, realizing that time is running out to submit the project.
“Time to Spare”
Meaning: There is extra time available.
In a Sentence: Finishing the task ahead of schedule, I found myself with unexpected time to spare, allowing for a well-deserved break.
“Time Flies When You’re Having Fun”
Meaning: Time seems to pass more quickly when one is enjoying themselves.
In a Sentence: Lost in the joy of the moment, we didn’t notice the hours passing – truly, time flies when you’re having fun.
“No Time Like the Present”
Meaning: It is better to do something now rather than later.
In a Sentence: Procrastination can be a barrier to success; after all, there’s no time like the present to start working towards your goals.
“Make Time for Something”
Meaning: To set aside time for something important.
In a Sentence: Despite a busy schedule, it’s crucial to make time for self-care to maintain overall well-being.
“Time-Consuming”
Meaning: Something takes a lot of time.
In a Sentence: The meticulous research for the article was time-consuming, but the depth of information was well worth the effort.
“Time-Saving”
Meaning: Something helps save time.
In a Sentence: Embracing technological advancements can be time-saving, streamlining daily tasks and allowing for more efficient use of time.
“Ahead of One’s Time”
Meaning: Someone or something is innovative or advanced in comparison to their contemporaries.
In a Sentence: The inventor’s groundbreaking ideas were ahead of their time, revolutionizing the industry.
Summary
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Killing Time | To pass time, often leisurely or unproductive. | “As I waited for my friend, I found myself killing time with a good book.” |
| Time Flies | Time passes quickly. | “Graduation day arrived, and I marveled at how time flies in academia.” |
| Time is of the Essence | Time is important or critical; something must be done quickly. | “When the fire alarm rang, evacuating became our top priority; time was of the essence.” |
| Time is Money | The more time spent, the more it will cost. | “In freelancing, every minute matters; time is money.” |
| Bide One’s Time | To wait patiently for an opportunity. | “Job seekers often find themselves biding their time for the right opening.” |
| Against the Clock | Working quickly against a deadline. | “With the project due tomorrow, the team worked against the clock.” |
| On Borrowed Time | Something continues longer than expected. | “Surviving the accident, he felt like he was living on borrowed time.” |
| Time is a Healer | Over time, wounds or difficulties will heal. | “Going through a tough breakup, I trusted that time is a healer.” |
| Time Out | To take a break or pause from something. | “Faced with a challenging problem, taking a time-out led to a better solution.” |
| Time Will Tell | The outcome cannot be predicted; only time reveals it. | “Launching the product, only time will tell if it will succeed in the market.” |
| Time Stands Still | Time seems to stop or pass very slowly. | “Watching the sunset, it felt as if time stood still.” |
| Time Marches On | Time continues to pass, regardless of events. | “Despite challenges, the realization that time marches on brings hope.” |
| Time and Tide… | Time and the natural world cannot be stopped or controlled. | “Procrastination leads to regrets; time and tide wait for no man.” |
| Waste of Time | Something is not productive or worthwhile. | “Scrolling through social media feels like a significant waste of time.” |
| In the Nick of Time | At the last possible moment. | “The rescue team arrived in the nick of time, saving stranded hikers.” |
| It’s About Time | Overdue; something should have happened a long time ago. | “When the overdue promotion came through, I exclaimed, ‘It’s about time!'” |
| Time and Again | Repeatedly or frequently. | “Despite setbacks, he tried time and again to start his business.” |
| Time-Honored | Respected due to its age; has been around for a long time. | “The community festival’s time-honored traditions brought generations together.” |
| Time is Running Out | Very little time left to do something. | “As the deadline approached, the sense of urgency intensified; time is running out.” |
| Time to Spare | Extra time available. | “Finishing ahead of schedule, I found myself with time to spare.” |
| Time Flies When… | Time passes more quickly when enjoying oneself. | “Lost in the joy of the moment, time flies when you’re having fun.” |
| No Time Like the Present | Better to do something now rather than later. | “Procrastination hinders success; there’s no time like the present to start.” |
| Make Time for Something | Set aside time for something important. | “Despite a busy schedule, it’s crucial to make time for self-care.” |
| Time-Consuming | Takes a lot of time. | “The article’s meticulous research was time-consuming but worth the effort.” |
| Time-Saving | Helps save time. | “Embracing technology can be time-saving, streamlining daily tasks.” |
| Ahead of One’s Time | Innovative or advanced compared to contemporaries. | “The inventor’s ideas were ahead of their time, revolutionizing the industry.” |
Conclusion
And there you have it, a captivating exploration of idioms for time that weaves through the fabric of our daily lives. Time, a mysterious and intangible force, takes on various meanings through these expressions, reflecting the complex relationship we share with it.