Tongan time

noun

A notional system of time which others sometimes derogatorily ascribe to Tongans, and which they sometimes jocularly ascribe to themselves, to account for their supposed tendency to be leisurely, not rigorous about scheduling, and often tardy.

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Meanings

nounTongan time (uncountable)
  1. derogatoryslangsometimesuncountableA notional system of time which others sometimes derogatorily ascribe to Tongans, and which they sometimes jocularly ascribe to themselves, to account for their supposed tendency to be leisurely, not rigorous about scheduling, and often tardy.
Cite this entry
APA

Tongan time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tongan%20time

MLA

“Tongan time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tongan%20time. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Tongan time,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tongan%20time.

Source: Tongan time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.