Meanings
present singular third person takes time · participle present taking time · past took time · participle past taken time
- idiomaticTo require a comparatively long period of time.
Learning a foreign language takes time.
2 more examples
It takes time to get used to having a step-parent.
After World War II it took time to clear up the arrears of track maintenance on both lines and it was not until 1953 that the L.M.R. restored any two-hour schedules, the W.R. following suit a year later.
1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 98Synonyms: take a long time, take some time
- idiomaticTo volunteer to spend one's time (for a purpose or beneficiary).
He took time for his son.
1 more example
He took time to help us with his son with his homework.
Synonyms: make time for, take the time
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo require a comparatively long period of time.
verbTo volunteer to spend one's time (for a purpose or beneficiary).
Translations
Dutch tijd nodig hebben, de tijd nemen
- tijd nodig hebbento require a long period of time
- de tijd nemento volunteer to spend one's time
French prendre du temps, prendre le temps (de faire quelque chose)
- prendre du tempsto require a long period of time
- prendre le temps (de faire quelque chose)to volunteer to spend one's time
- prendre de son temps (pour faire quelque chose)to volunteer to spend one's time
German Zeit brauchen
- Zeit brauchento require a long period of time
Italian prendersi la briga
- prendersi la brigato volunteer to spend one's time
Polish potrzebować czasu, poświęcać czas
- potrzebować czasuto require a long period of time
- poświęcać czasto volunteer to spend one's time
- poświęcić czasto volunteer to spend one's time
Portuguese demorar, levar tempo
- demorarto require a long period of time
- levar tempoto require a long period of time
- tardarto require a long period of time
Spanish llevar / tomar / requerir tiempo, tardar
- llevar / tomar / requerir tiempoto require a long period of time
- tardarto require a long period of time
- demorarto require a long period of time
- dedicar tiempoto volunteer to spend one's time
Cite this entry
take time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20time
“take time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20time. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take time,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20time.
Source: take time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.