Time is precious, but let’s be honest—sometimes, we waste it without even realizing it. Whether we’re procrastinating, getting distracted, or engaging in unproductive activities, there are plenty of idioms to describe these moments. These expressions add color to our conversations and help us explain situations in a relatable way.
In this article, we’ll explore 20 idioms that describe wasting time, complete with meanings, examples, and explanations. Whether you’re chatting with friends, writing creatively, or just curious about language, these idioms will help you express yourself more effectively.
Let’s dive in and discover some fun and meaningful ways to talk about wasting time!
What is an Idiom?
An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a meaning different from the literal meanings of its words. Idioms are commonly used in everyday language to make conversations more vivid and engaging. They often reflect cultural beliefs and experiences, making them a rich part of any language.
Now, let’s explore 20 idioms that describe wasting time!
List of Idioms for Wasting Time
- Twiddling your thumbs
- Beating around the bush
- Killing time
- Chasing your tail
- Fiddling while Rome burns
- Shooting the breeze
- Spinning your wheels
- Dragging your feet
- Dilly-dallying
- Piddling around
- Monkeying around
- Kicking the can down the road
- Goofing off
- Burning daylight
- Loafing around
- Whiling away the time
- Waffling around
- Faffing about
- Dawdling
- Horsing around
1. Twiddling Your Thumbs
Sometimes, we find ourselves sitting around, doing nothing, just waiting for time to pass. This is called twiddling your thumbs.
Definition: To twiddle your thumbs means to be idle or do nothing while waiting.
In a Sentence: “I arrived at the restaurant early, so I just sat there twiddling my thumbs until my friend arrived.”
Example: Sarah finished her work early and had nothing else to do. She sat at her desk, staring at the clock and twiddling her thumbs.
Explanation: This idiom describes the feeling of being bored, waiting for something to happen, or having nothing productive to do.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Killing time
- Sitting idle
- Doing nothing
- Passing the time
- Bored stiff
2. Beating Around the Bush
Sometimes, people avoid getting to the point and talk in circles instead. This is called beating around the bush.
Definition: To beat around the bush means to avoid talking about something directly.
In a Sentence: “Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth!”
Example: Mike wanted to ask for a raise but felt nervous. Instead of getting straight to the point, he kept beating around the bush, talking about everything except his salary.
Explanation: This idiom means someone is wasting time by avoiding the main topic and not speaking directly.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Avoiding the point
- Talking in circles
- Dancing around the subject
- Dodging the issue
- Not getting to the point
3. Killing Time
When you’re waiting for something and do small activities just to pass the time, you are killing time.
Definition: To kill time means to do unimportant activities while waiting.
In a Sentence: “I played a game on my phone to kill time while waiting for my appointment.”
Example: Before his job interview, John had an hour to wait. He walked around the mall, looking at stores just to kill time.
Explanation: This phrase is used when people engage in unimportant activities just to make time go by faster.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Passing the time
- Wasting time
- Keeping busy
- Filling the gap
- Biding time
4. Chasing Your Tail
If you’re busy all day but accomplish nothing, you might be chasing your tail.
Definition: To chase your tail means to keep busy with unproductive activities.
In a Sentence: “I spent hours trying to fix my computer, but I was just chasing my tail.”
Example: Lisa spent the whole afternoon rearranging her desk and organizing files but didn’t complete any real work. She was chasing her tail.
Explanation: This idiom describes pointless activity that doesn’t lead to any real results.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Going in circles
- Wasting effort
- Doing busy work
- Running around aimlessly
- Getting nowhere
5. Fiddling While Rome Burns
When someone focuses on small things while a bigger problem is happening, they are fiddling while Rome burns.
Definition: To fiddle while Rome burns means to ignore an important issue and waste time on unimportant matters.
In a Sentence: “Instead of fixing the broken system, the manager spent time decorating the office—he was fiddling while Rome burns.”
Example: A company was losing money fast, but the CEO spent hours discussing the color of the new logo instead of solving the financial crisis. He was fiddling while Rome burns.
Explanation: This idiom means someone is focusing on minor things while a major problem is happening.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Ignoring the real problem
- Avoiding the issue
- Misplacing priorities
- Focusing on the wrong thing
- Turning a blind eye
6. Shooting the Breeze
When people chat casually about nothing important, they are shooting the breeze.
Definition: To shoot the breeze means to have a casual, unimportant conversation.
In a Sentence: “We spent the whole evening shooting the breeze about old times.”
Example: Two friends sat at a café, talking about movies, the weather, and their childhood memories. They were just shooting the breeze.
Explanation: This phrase describes relaxed, informal conversations that don’t have a serious purpose.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Chit-chatting
- Small talking
- Rambling
- Gossiping
- Passing time talking
7. Spinning Your Wheels
If you’re working hard but making no real progress, you are spinning your wheels.
Definition: To spin your wheels means to waste effort without making progress.
In a Sentence: “I’ve been trying to solve this problem all day, but I’m just spinning my wheels.”
Example: Jenny kept revising the same paragraph over and over again without making it any better—she was just spinning her wheels.
Explanation: This idiom describes putting in effort but not achieving any real results.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Going nowhere
- Wasting effort
- Running in place
- Stuck in a loop
- Making no progress
8. Dragging Your Feet
When someone moves slowly or delays something on purpose, they are dragging their feet.
Definition: To drag your feet means to procrastinate or delay something intentionally.
In a Sentence: “He was supposed to finish the report yesterday, but he keeps dragging his feet.”
Example: Instead of cleaning her room, Emily took hours just looking at her phone—she was dragging her feet.
Explanation: This phrase is used when someone is slow to act, often because they don’t want to do something.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Stalling
- Procrastinating
- Taking your time
- Moving slowly
- Delaying
9. Dilly-Dallying
If someone takes too long to do something because they keep getting distracted, they are dilly-dallying.
Definition: To dilly-dally means to waste time by being slow or indecisive.
In a Sentence: “Stop dilly-dallying and get ready! We’re late!”
Example: Mark spent an hour trying to decide which shirt to wear—he was dilly-dallying instead of getting dressed.
Explanation: This idiom describes someone wasting time instead of acting quickly.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Loafing around
- Dawdling
- Taking forever
- Being slow
- Hesitating
10. Piddling Around
When someone spends time doing small, unimportant things instead of being productive, they are piddling around.
Definition: To piddle around means to waste time on unimportant activities.
In a Sentence: “I didn’t finish my work because I was piddling around on social media all day.”
Example: Instead of starting his homework, Jake spent hours piddling around with his new video game.
Explanation: This phrase describes wasting time on activities that don’t matter.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Messing around
- Wasting time
- Playing around
- Doing nothing useful
- Fooling around
11. Monkeying Around
If someone is goofing off instead of doing what they should be, they are monkeying around.
Definition: To monkey around means to act silly or waste time instead of working.
In a Sentence: “Stop monkeying around and do your homework!”
Example: The kids were supposed to clean their room, but they spent the whole time monkeying around instead.
Explanation: This idiom describes wasting time by playing or behaving foolishly.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Goofing off
- Fooling around
- Messing around
- Playing around
- Acting silly
12. Kicking the Can Down the Road
If you avoid dealing with a problem and push it to the future, you are kicking the can down the road.
Definition: To kick the can down the road means to delay dealing with a problem.
In a Sentence: “The government keeps kicking the can down the road instead of solving the issue now.”
Example: Instead of fixing the company’s budget problems, the manager decided to ignore them for now, just kicking the can down the road.
Explanation: This phrase means postponing a difficult decision or problem instead of handling it immediately.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Delaying the inevitable
- Pushing back
- Avoiding responsibility
- Postponing
- Putting off
13. Goofing Off
If someone avoids work by playing or wasting time, they are goofing off.
Definition: To goof off means to waste time instead of working.
In a Sentence: “He spent the whole day goofing off instead of studying.”
Example: Instead of doing their project, the students spent their time goofing off and playing games.
Explanation: This idiom describes not taking responsibilities seriously and wasting time instead.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Messing around
- Fooling around
- Slacking off
- Playing around
- Avoiding work
14. Burning Daylight
If you’re wasting time when you should be working, you are burning daylight.
Definition: To burn daylight means to waste time instead of getting things done.
In a Sentence: “We need to start now! We’re just burning daylight.”
Example: The team sat around talking instead of getting to work, burning daylight instead of making progress.
Explanation: This phrase describes losing valuable time when you should be productive.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Wasting time
- Losing valuable time
- Not getting things done
- Delaying work
- Being unproductive
15. Loafing Around
When someone spends time doing nothing productive, they are loafing around.
Definition: To loaf around means to be lazy and avoid work.
In a Sentence: “Instead of helping with chores, he was just loafing around all day.”
Example: Tom had a long list of things to do, but instead, he spent the afternoon loafing around on the couch watching TV.
Explanation: This phrase describes laziness and avoiding responsibilities.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Lazing around
- Doing nothing
- Wasting time
- Being idle
- Sitting around
16. Whiling Away the Time
When you spend time in a relaxed way without doing anything important, you are whiling away the time.
Definition: To while away the time means to pass time in a relaxed, unproductive way.
In a Sentence: “We spent the afternoon whiling away the time by the beach.”
Example: While waiting for his flight, Jake sat in a café, whiling away the time by reading a magazine.
Explanation: This idiom describes spending time in a leisurely but unproductive way.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Passing time
- Killing time
- Relaxing
- Taking it easy
- Doing nothing much
17. Waffling Around
If someone keeps changing their mind instead of making a decision, they are waffling around.
Definition: To waffle around means to be indecisive and waste time thinking instead of acting.
In a Sentence: “Stop waffling around and just choose a restaurant!”
Example: Sarah couldn’t decide whether to buy the red or blue dress, so she stood in the store waffling around for 30 minutes.
Explanation: This phrase describes indecisiveness that leads to wasting time.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Hesitating
- Overthinking
- Being indecisive
- Delaying decisions
- Going back and forth
18. Faffing About
When someone spends time doing unimportant things instead of focusing on what matters, they are faffing about.
Definition: To faff about means to waste time doing trivial things.
In a Sentence: “He spent the whole morning faffing about instead of cleaning the house.”
Example: Instead of preparing for her exam, Lisa spent hours faffing about with her phone.
Explanation: This idiom describes engaging in pointless activities instead of getting things done.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Wasting time
- Messing around
- Procrastinating
- Not focusing
- Doing pointless tasks
19. Dawdling
If someone moves slowly and takes longer than necessary to do something, they are dawdling.
Definition: To dawdle means to move slowly and waste time instead of being efficient.
In a Sentence: “Hurry up! Stop dawdling or we’ll be late!”
Example: The children took forever to get dressed for school because they kept dawdling instead of hurrying.
Explanation: This phrase describes taking unnecessary time to complete a task due to distractions or lack of urgency.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Taking your time
- Moving slowly
- Dragging your feet
- Hesitating
- Delaying
20. Horsing Around
If someone is playing or acting silly instead of working, they are horsing around.
Definition: To horse around means to play roughly or behave in a silly way instead of being serious.
In a Sentence: “Stop horsing around and focus on your work!”
Example: The students were supposed to be studying, but instead, they were horsing around and making jokes.
Explanation: This phrase describes engaging in playful or silly behavior instead of working or being serious.
Other Ways to Say It:
- Fooling around
- Messing around
- Playing around
- Acting silly
- Goofing off
Other Ways to Say “Idioms for Wasting Time”
- Expressions for Time-Wasting
- Phrases About Procrastination
- Sayings for Losing Time
- Common Idioms for Being Unproductive
- Ways to Describe Wasting Time
Final Thoughts
Time is precious, but we all waste it sometimes. Whether you’re twiddling your thumbs while waiting, beating around the bush instead of getting to the point, or horsing around instead of working, these idioms capture the many ways we lose time.
Learning these phrases can help you communicate more vividly and add humor and personality to your conversations. Try using them in your daily speech and see how they bring your words to life!
FAQs
1. What does “twiddling your thumbs” mean?
It means being idle and doing nothing while waiting.
2. How can I use “beating around the bush” in a sentence?
You can say, “Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth!”
3. What’s another way to say “killing time”?
Other ways include “passing the time” or “biding time.”
4. What does “spinning your wheels” mean?
It means working hard but making no progress.
5. Why is it useful to know idioms?
Idioms make language more colorful and help express thoughts clearly.
Emma Brooke is the writer and founder of Grammer Guru, a platform designed to help individuals refine their grammar, writing, and communication skills. With a deep love for language and a talent for simplifying complex grammar rules, Emma provides insightful tips and practical guidance for writers, students, and professionals
