Meaning & use
favorite pastime
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
The leisure activity that a person enjoys more than any other.
Grammar: Usually with a possessive: her favorite pastime. In British English the spelling is favourite pastime.
Patterns
- someone's favorite pastime is something
- a favorite pastime of someone
Reading detective novels is her favorite pastime.
My favorite pastime on Sundays is walking along the river.
Baseball has long been the favorite pastime of many Americans.
phrasefixed phrase
An activity that a group of people commonly and eagerly do for pleasure.
Grammar: Can describe a habit shared by many people or a popular hobby of a place.
Patterns
- a favorite pastime of somewhere
Fishing is a favorite pastime in this part of the country.
Complaining about the weather is the national favorite pastime.
Word forms
| plural | favorite pastimes |
|---|
Common combinations
- national favorite pastime
- Baseball is called the national favorite pastime.
- my favorite pastime
- Gardening is my favorite pastime.
- a favorite pastime of
- Chess is a favorite pastime of retired teachers here.
- enjoy a favorite pastime
- He enjoys his favorite pastime every weekend.
- indulge in a favorite pastime
- She likes to indulge in her favorite pastime of baking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hobby
- Hobby is the most common word and suggests a regular, often skill-based activity, while pastime can be more casual.
- leisure activity
- Leisure activity is a neutral, somewhat formal phrase for anything done in free time, and it does not name a favorite.
- diversion
- Diversion suggests something that takes your attention away from work or worries, so it is more formal and less personal.
- recreation
- Recreation is a formal word for activity done for enjoyment, often organized or physical.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: favorite pastime or past time? favorite pastime or hobby?
favorite pastime vs past time
Written as two words, past time means time that has already gone by, while pastime is one word and means a leisure activity.
favorite pastime vs hobby
A hobby is a regular activity you spend time on, whereas a pastime can be any casual way of passing time.
Practice
Which spelling of the activity word is correct in: 'Birdwatching is his favorite ___.'?
Choose one answer.
Pastime is the single word for a leisure activity. Past time means time that has already gone, and the other spellings are not standard.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “favorite pastime”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.