Time flies when we’re not focused, and wasting it can happen without notice. Learning the right expressions helps describe these moments clearly.
This article explains over 60 common idioms for wasting time. You’ll see each idiom with its meaning, example sentences in bullet points, and two easy alternative ways to say it, making it simple to use in daily conversation.
Why Learn Idioms About Wasting Time?
Understanding these idioms will help you:
- Communicate more naturally in English conversations
- Recognize when others are describing unproductive behavior
- Express yourself more creatively in writing and speaking
- Better understand English literature, movies, and media
Let’s explore these fascinating expressions that describe the many ways we can waste our precious time.
List of Best Idioms About Time Wasting
1. Beat Around the Bush
Meaning: To avoid talking about the main topic or to delay getting to the point
In a Sentence:
- Stop beating around the bush and tell me what really happened at the meeting yesterday.
- He kept beating around the bush for twenty minutes before finally asking for a raise.
Other Ways to Say: Avoid the issue, dance around the topic
2. Drag One’s Feet
Meaning: To do something slowly or reluctantly, causing delays
In a Sentence:
- The company has been dragging its feet on implementing the new safety measures for months.
- If you keep dragging your feet on this project, we’ll never meet the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Delay deliberately, move slowly
3. Kill Time
Meaning: To do something to pass time while waiting, usually something unproductive
In a Sentence:
- I arrived early for my appointment, so I killed time by scrolling through social media.
- We killed time at the coffee shop while waiting for the movie to start.
Other Ways to Say: Pass time, fill time
4. Twiddle One’s Thumbs
Meaning: To do nothing while waiting, to be idle and bored
In a Sentence:
- I’ve been twiddling my thumbs all morning waiting for my boss to approve the budget.
- Don’t just sit there twiddling your thumbs—there’s plenty of work to be done.
Other Ways to Say: Sit idly, do nothing
5. Go Around in Circles
Meaning: To keep discussing or doing something without making progress
In a Sentence:
- We’ve been going around in circles for hours without reaching any decision.
- This conversation is going around in circles; let’s take a different approach.
Other Ways to Say: Make no progress, spin wheels
6. Spin One’s Wheels
Meaning: To waste effort on something that produces no results
In a Sentence:
- I spent all day spinning my wheels trying to fix the computer without reading the manual.
- You’re just spinning your wheels with that outdated marketing strategy.
Other Ways to Say: Waste effort, go nowhere
7. Fiddle While Rome Burns
Meaning: To do unimportant things while ignoring serious problems that need attention
In a Sentence:
- The CEO is fiddling while Rome burns, planning parties while the company loses money.
- We can’t fiddle while Rome burns—we need to address the climate crisis now.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore urgent matters, neglect priorities
8. Put Off Until Tomorrow
Meaning: To delay doing something, to procrastinate
In a Sentence:
- Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today, especially your tax returns.
- She keeps putting off until tomorrow her promise to start exercising regularly.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone, delay action
9. Fool Around
Meaning: To waste time doing silly or unproductive things
In a Sentence:
- Stop fooling around and get back to work on your assignment.
- The kids were fooling around in the backyard instead of doing their homework.
Other Ways to Say: Mess around, play around
10. Mess Around
Meaning: To spend time doing things without a serious purpose
In a Sentence:
- I messed around with the new software all afternoon without accomplishing anything.
- We spent the whole weekend messing around at the beach instead of studying.
Other Ways to Say: Waste time, goof off
11. Dilly-Dally
Meaning: To waste time by being slow or indecisive
In a Sentence:
- We don’t have time to dilly-dally; the train leaves in fifteen minutes.
- Stop dilly-dallying and make a decision about which college you want to attend.
Other Ways to Say: Dawdle, hesitate
12. Dawdle
Meaning: To move or act slowly, taking more time than necessary
In a Sentence:
- The children dawdled on their way to school, stopping to look at every interesting thing.
- Don’t dawdle over breakfast—we have a long drive ahead of us.
Other Ways to Say: Move slowly, take one’s time
13. Lollygag
Meaning: To spend time aimlessly or to be lazy
In a Sentence:
- Quit lollygagging and help me carry these groceries inside.
- We lollygagged at the park all afternoon enjoying the sunshine.
Other Ways to Say: Loiter, lounge around
14. Goof Off
Meaning: To avoid work and waste time on unimportant activities
In a Sentence:
- He got fired for goofing off on company time instead of doing his job.
- I goofed off all weekend and now I have to work twice as hard on Monday.
Other Ways to Say: Slack off, shirk duties
15. Slack Off
Meaning: To work less hard than usual or to be lazy
In a Sentence:
- The manager noticed that productivity dropped because employees were slacking off.
- Don’t slack off now—we’re almost finished with the project.
Other Ways to Say: Be lazy, reduce effort
16. Fritter Away
Meaning: To waste time, money, or opportunities on trivial things
In a Sentence:
- She frittered away her inheritance on expensive clothes and parties.
- Don’t fritter away your youth on meaningless activities; invest in your future.
Other Ways to Say: Squander, waste carelessly
17. While Away the Hours
Meaning: To spend time in a relaxed, often unproductive way
In a Sentence:
- We whiled away the hours sitting on the porch and watching the sunset.
- He whiled away the afternoon playing video games instead of studying.
Other Ways to Say: Pass time leisurely, idle away
18. Burn Daylight
Meaning: To waste valuable daytime hours
In a Sentence:
- We’re burning daylight sitting here talking; let’s get moving on the construction.
- Stop burning daylight and start working on what needs to be done.
Other Ways to Say: Waste daylight, lose valuable time
19. Sit on One’s Hands
Meaning: To do nothing when action is needed
In a Sentence:
- The government can’t just sit on its hands while the economy deteriorates.
- We’ve been sitting on our hands waiting for approval instead of taking initiative.
Other Ways to Say: Remain inactive, fail to act
20. Run Around in Circles
Meaning: To be busy but accomplish nothing
In a Sentence:
- I’ve been running around in circles all day trying to organize this event.
- The team is running around in circles because there’s no clear plan.
Other Ways to Say: Waste energy, be unproductive
21. Pass the Time of Day
Meaning: To chat casually without any serious purpose
In a Sentence:
- I stopped to pass the time of day with my neighbor and ended up being late.
- They were just passing the time of day at the water cooler instead of working.
Other Ways to Say: Make small talk, chat idly
22. Piddle Around
Meaning: To waste time on unimportant tasks
In a Sentence:
- Stop piddling around with those minor details and focus on the main problem.
- I piddled around in the garage all afternoon without actually fixing anything.
Other Ways to Say: Tinker aimlessly, mess about
23. Faff About
Meaning: To spend time doing unimportant things instead of what should be done (British)
In a Sentence:
- Quit faffing about and get down to serious work on the presentation.
- We’ve been faffing about for hours without making any real decisions.
Other Ways to Say: Waste time, mess around
24. Drag Out
Meaning: To make something last longer than necessary
In a Sentence:
- The meeting was dragged out for three hours with unnecessary discussions.
- Don’t drag out the goodbye; just say what you need to say and leave.
Other Ways to Say: Prolong unnecessarily, extend excessively
25. Take Forever
Meaning: To take an extremely long time to do something
In a Sentence:
- She takes forever to get ready; we’re always late when we go out together.
- This computer takes forever to start up; I need a new one.
Other Ways to Say: Take ages, be extremely slow
26. Loiter
Meaning: To stand around idly without purpose
In a Sentence:
- The teenagers were loitering outside the convenience store with nothing to do.
- Don’t loiter in the hallway; either come in or go do something productive.
Other Ways to Say: Hang around, linger aimlessly
27. Monkey Around
Meaning: To behave in a silly or playful way instead of being serious
In a Sentence:
- The students were monkeying around in class instead of paying attention.
- Stop monkeying around with the equipment—you might break something.
Other Ways to Say: Play around, fool about
28. Waste One’s Breath
Meaning: To speak when nobody is listening or when it won’t make a difference
In a Sentence:
- I wasted my breath trying to convince him; he’s too stubborn to listen.
- Don’t waste your breath arguing with her about politics; she never changes her mind.
Other Ways to Say: Talk pointlessly, speak in vain
29. Go Off on a Tangent
Meaning: To suddenly start talking about something unrelated to the main topic
In a Sentence:
- The professor went off on a tangent about his childhood and forgot what he was teaching.
- Let’s not go off on a tangent; we need to stay focused on solving this problem.
Other Ways to Say: Digress, stray from topic
30. Procrastinate
Meaning: To delay doing something that should be done
In a Sentence:
- I always procrastinate when it comes to writing reports; I leave them until the last minute.
- Stop procrastinating and start working on your college applications.
Other Ways to Say: Put off, delay unnecessarily
31. Putter Around
Meaning: To spend time doing small, unimportant tasks
In a Sentence:
- My grandfather likes to putter around in his workshop on weekends.
- I spent Sunday morning puttering around the house, organizing drawers and shelves.
Other Ways to Say: Busy oneself, tinker about
32. Hang Around
Meaning: To stay in a place without any particular purpose
In a Sentence:
- The kids have been hanging around the mall all day with nothing to do.
- Don’t hang around waiting for me; I’ll be another two hours at least.
Other Ways to Say: Loiter, wait idly
33. Lose Track of Time
Meaning: To become so absorbed in something that you don’t notice time passing
In a Sentence:
- I lost track of time reading my book and missed my dentist appointment.
- They lost track of time chatting and suddenly realized it was midnight.
Other Ways to Say: Forget the time, become unaware of time
34. Drag One’s Heels
Meaning: To be deliberately slow in doing something
In a Sentence:
- The landlord is dragging his heels on fixing the broken heating system.
- Management has been dragging its heels on approving the diversity initiative.
Other Ways to Say: Delay intentionally, stall
35. Mark Time
Meaning: To pass time without making progress or moving forward
In a Sentence:
- He’s just marking time in that dead-end job until something better comes along.
- We’re marking time until the new CEO arrives and makes some decisions.
Other Ways to Say: Wait without progress, tread water
36. Tread Water
Meaning: To be active but make no progress
In a Sentence:
- The company has been treading water for years without any real growth.
- I feel like I’m just treading water in my career with no advancement opportunities.
Other Ways to Say: Stay stagnant, make no headway
37. Spin in Place
Meaning: To expend energy without moving forward or making progress
In a Sentence:
- The project team has been spinning in place for weeks without clear direction.
- We’re spinning in place because we keep changing our strategy every few days.
Other Ways to Say: Go nowhere, remain stuck
38. Waste Away
Meaning: To spend time unproductively, often leading to deterioration
In a Sentence:
- He wasted away his college years partying instead of studying.
- Don’t waste away your summer vacation; learn something new or travel.
Other Ways to Say: Squander time, fritter away
39. Let Time Slip By
Meaning: To allow time to pass without using it productively
In a Sentence:
- I let time slip by without working on my novel, and now another year has passed.
- Don’t let time slip by without telling the people you love how you feel.
Other Ways to Say: Let time pass, allow time to escape
40. Dragging Things Out
Meaning: Making a process take longer than necessary
In a Sentence:
- The lawyer is dragging things out to increase his billable hours.
- Stop dragging things out and just make a final decision on the design.
Other Ways to Say: Prolonging unnecessarily, extending needlessly
41. Shoot the Breeze
Meaning: To have a casual, unimportant conversation
In a Sentence:
- We spent the afternoon shooting the breeze on the front porch.
- The coworkers were shooting the breeze by the coffee machine instead of working.
Other Ways to Say: Chat casually, make small talk
42. Chew the Fat
Meaning: To chat in a relaxed way, often about unimportant matters
In a Sentence:
- The old friends sat chewing the fat about their school days for hours.
- We were just chewing the fat when the boss walked in and caught us.
Other Ways to Say: Have a chat, talk idly
43. Kick Around
Meaning: To spend time without doing anything productive
In a Sentence:
- We kicked around the house all weekend because the weather was terrible.
- He’s been kicking around town for months without finding a job.
Other Ways to Say: Loaf around, idle about
44. Dally
Meaning: To waste time or act in a slow, casual way
In a Sentence:
- We can’t dally any longer; the store closes in fifteen minutes.
- She dallied over her lunch, making everyone late for the afternoon meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Linger, waste time
45. Languish
Meaning: To remain in an unpleasant situation for a long time without progress
In a Sentence:
- The proposal has been languishing on the director’s desk for three months.
- He languished in a boring job for years before finally pursuing his passion.
Other Ways to Say: Remain stagnant, waste away
46. Stall for Time
Meaning: To deliberately delay something in order to gain more time
In a Sentence:
- The politician was stalling for time, giving vague answers to avoid the real question.
- I stalled for time by asking questions while I tried to remember the answer.
Other Ways to Say: Delay deliberately, buy time
47. Thumb One’s Nose
Meaning: To show disrespect or disregard, often wasting time to prove a point
In a Sentence:
- He’s thumbing his nose at company policy by coming in late every day.
- They thumbed their nose at the deadline and submitted the report whenever they felt like it.
Other Ways to Say: Show disrespect, disregard authority
48. Make Heavy Weather of Something
Meaning: To make something more difficult or time-consuming than it needs to be
In a Sentence:
- She’s making heavy weather of that simple task; it should take ten minutes, not two hours.
- Don’t make heavy weather of the assignment; just follow the instructions.
Other Ways to Say: Overcomplicate, make unnecessarily difficult
49. Take the Long Way Around
Meaning: To do something in an inefficient, time-consuming manner
In a Sentence:
- He always takes the long way around when explaining things; he needs to be more direct.
- We took the long way around solving the problem because we didn’t understand the shortcuts.
Other Ways to Say: Be inefficient, use a roundabout method
50. Boil the Ocean
Meaning: To waste time trying to do something impossible or unnecessarily complicated
In a Sentence:
- You’re trying to boil the ocean with this project; focus on what’s actually achievable.
- Let’s not boil the ocean here; we need a simple solution, not a complete system overhaul.
Other Ways to Say: Attempt the impossible, overcomplicate things
51. Chase One’s Tail
Meaning: To be busy but accomplish nothing, like a dog chasing its own tail
In a Sentence:
- The department has been chasing its tail trying to implement three different systems at once.
- I spent all day chasing my tail because I kept forgetting what I was supposed to do.
Other Ways to Say: Be unproductive, go in circles
52. Bark Up the Wrong Tree
Meaning: To waste time and effort on the wrong approach or solution
In a Sentence:
- You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think complaining will change the policy.
- The detective was barking up the wrong tree investigating that suspect for weeks.
Other Ways to Say: Follow wrong path, pursue wrong lead
53. Go Through the Motions
Meaning: To do something without enthusiasm or real effort, just going through the steps
In a Sentence:
- He’s just going through the motions at work since he announced his resignation.
- The team is going through the motions without any real commitment to winning.
Other Ways to Say: Perform mechanically, act without enthusiasm
54. Sit on the Fence
Meaning: To avoid making a decision, wasting time being indecisive
In a Sentence:
- Stop sitting on the fence and tell us which proposal you support.
- The company has been sitting on the fence about expanding internationally for years.
Other Ways to Say: Be indecisive, avoid commitment
55. Reinvent the Wheel
Meaning: To waste time creating something that already exists
In a Sentence:
- Don’t reinvent the wheel; use the template that’s already been developed.
- We wasted months reinventing the wheel instead of adopting industry best practices.
Other Ways to Say: Duplicate existing work, create unnecessarily
56. Count One’s Chickens Before They Hatch
Meaning: To waste time planning for something that might not happen
In a Sentence:
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch by spending the bonus you haven’t received yet.
- She counted her chickens before they hatched, planning a celebration before knowing the results.
Other Ways to Say: Assume prematurely, plan too early
57. Put the Cart Before the Horse
Meaning: To do things in the wrong order, wasting time by starting incorrectly
In a Sentence:
- You’re putting the cart before the horse by hiring staff before securing the funding.
- We put the cart before the horse and had to redo everything in the right sequence.
Other Ways to Say: Do things backwards, reverse proper order
58. Throw Good Money After Bad
Meaning: To continue wasting time and resources on something that’s failing
In a Sentence:
- Continuing to invest in that failing project is throwing good money after bad.
- Don’t throw good money after bad by trying to repair that ancient car again.
Other Ways to Say: Waste resources on failure, persist in losing effort
59. Miss the Boat
Meaning: To waste an opportunity by being too slow or indecisive
In a Sentence:
- We missed the boat on investing in that company; their stock price tripled.
- Don’t miss the boat by hesitating too long on this job offer.
Other Ways to Say: Lose opportunity, be too late
60. Let the Grass Grow Under One’s Feet
Meaning: To waste time being inactive when one should be taking action
In a Sentence:
- Don’t let the grass grow under your feet; start applying for jobs immediately.
- She never lets the grass grow under her feet; she’s always moving forward with new projects.
Other Ways to Say: Be inactive, delay action
61. Sleep on It
Meaning: To delay making a decision unnecessarily (when overused)
In a Sentence:
- He’s been sleeping on this decision for three months; it’s time to commit.
- You can’t sleep on it forever; sometimes you need to make a quick choice.
Other Ways to Say: Delay deciding, postpone decision
62. Make a Meal Out of Something
Meaning: To spend more time and effort on something than necessary
In a Sentence:
- She makes a meal out of every small task, turning five-minute jobs into hour-long projects.
- Don’t make a meal out of this simple request; just answer yes or no.
Other Ways to Say: Overcomplicate, make too elaborate
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for wasting time in English?
Idioms like kill time, fritter away, dawdle, and goof off are commonly used for wasting time.
What are some funny idioms for wasting time?
Lollygag, twiddle one’s thumbs, and mess around are funny ways to describe wasting time.
Which idioms show wasted effort?
Spin your wheels, beat your head against a wall, and waste one’s breath describe wasted effort.
What slang can I use for wasting time?
Goof off, slack off, and play around are popular slang expressions for wasting time.
What are some good synonyms for wasting time?
Procrastinate, idle away, drag your feet, and loaf around are easy synonyms.
What idiom can I use for delaying something?
Play for time, kick the can down the road, or drag your feet show delaying something.
How do I say “wasting time” in a casual way?
You can say mess around, fool around, or loaf around in casual conversation.
Which idioms are used at work for wasted effort?
Spin your wheels, beat your head against the wall, and fritter away are common at work.
What is a fun way to tell someone they are wasting time?
You can say stop lollygagging, quit goofing off, or don’t twiddle your thumbs.
How can I describe someone delaying a task in English?
You can say they are procrastinating, dragging their feet, or playing for time.
Final Thoughts
Wasting time happens to everyone, but knowing the right idioms makes it easier to describe these moments clearly. Use these expressions in your daily conversations to sound natural, confident, and more expressive while talking about time management.
Start practicing these idioms today and watch how your English improves. Share them with friends, use them in writing, and never miss a chance to sound smart. Keep this list handy and turn every wasted moment into a fun learning opportunity.
