Meanings
verbwaste time (third-person singular simple present wastes time, present participle wasting time, simple past and past participle wasted time)
present singular third person wastes time · participle present wasting time · participle past wasted time · past wasted time
- To allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner.
Don't waste your time or time will waste you.
2006, Matt Bellamy, “Knights of Cydonia”, in Black Holes and Revelations, performed by Muse2 more examples
I'm gonna stop wastin' my time / Somebody else would have broken both of her arms
1973, “Sad Song”, in Berlin, performed by Lou ReedGreater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has wasted no time.
2025 February 5, Richard Wilcock, “GBR searches for answers to ticketing simplification”, in RAIL, number 1028, page 26Synonyms: dally, dawdle, burn time, dick around, fiddlefart, fiddlefuck, faff about, fanny about
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner.
Translations
Arabic ضَيَّعَ اَلْوَقْت
- ضَيَّعَ اَلْوَقْت (ḍayyaʕa al-waqt)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Catalan perdre temps
- perdre tempsallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Chinese 無了時 /无了时
- 無了時 /无了时 (bô-liáu-sî)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Chinese Cantonese 嘥時間 /嘥时间
- 嘥時間 /嘥时间 (saai¹ si⁴ gaan³)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Chinese Mandarin 浪費時間 /浪费时间, 白費時間 /白费时间
- 浪費時間 /浪费时间 (làngfèi shíjiān)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- 白費時間 /白费时间 (báifèi shíjiān)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Czech plýtvat časem, mrhat časem
- plýtvat časemallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- mrhat časemallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Dutch tijd verspillen
- tijd verspillenallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Finnish hukata aikaa, haaskata aikaa
- hukata aikaaallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- haaskata aikaaallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
French perdre son temps
- perdre son tempsallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
German Zeit vergeuden, Zeit verschwenden
- Zeit vergeudenallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- Zeit verschwendenallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Italian perdere tempo, sprecare tempo
- perdere tempoallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- sprecare tempoallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- cincischiareallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- grattarsi le palleallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- cazzeggiareallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Japanese 時間を無駄に過ごす
- 時間を無駄に過ごす (jikan o muda ni sugosu)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Korean 시간을 소비하다
- 시간을 소비하다 (siganeul sobihada)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Lithuanian švaistyti laiką, temptį gumą
- švaistyti laikąallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- temptį gumąallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- temptį laikąallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Māori ānewanewa
- ānewanewaallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Polish tracić czas, stracić czas
- tracić czasallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- stracić czasallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- bałwanić sięallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Portuguese perder tempo
- perder tempoallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Romanian pierde timpul, freca menta
- pierde timpulallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- freca mentaallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- tăia frunză la câiniallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- irosi timpulallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Russian теря́ть вре́мя
- теря́ть вре́мя (terjátʹ vrémja)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Spanish perder el tiempo, perecear
- perder el tiempoallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- perecearallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- pelar la pavaallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- estar al pedoallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- desperdiciar tiempoallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- holgazanearallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- haraganearallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- papearseallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Swedish spilla tid, ödsla tid
- spilla tidallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- ödsla tidallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- förspilla tidallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Thai เสียเวลา
- เสียเวลา (sǐia-wee-laa)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Turkish zaman öldürmek, vakit geçirmek
- zaman öldürmekallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- vakit geçirmekallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- vakit öldürmekallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- zaman geçirmekallow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Ukrainian га́яти час, марнува́ти час
- га́яти час (hájaty čas)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
- марнува́ти час (marnuváty čas)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Vietnamese tốn thì giờ (chẳng ra gì)
- tốn thì giờ (chẳng ra gì)allow time to elapse in an unproductive manner
Cite this entry
APA
waste time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waste%20time
MLA
“waste time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waste%20time. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “waste time,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waste%20time.
Source: waste time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.