Meaning & use
leisure pursuits
Last updated
Meanings
nounplural
Activities people do for enjoyment in their free time, such as hobbies, sports, or reading.
Grammar: Used in the plural; for one activity say 'a leisure pursuit' or 'a leisure activity'.
Patterns
- enjoy leisure pursuits
- take up a leisure pursuit
- leisure pursuits such as …
Gardening and cycling are popular leisure pursuits in this area.
The survey asked people which leisure pursuits they enjoy most.
Retirement gave him time for leisure pursuits he had long ignored.
nounpluralformal
Free-time activities considered as a group in surveys, policy, or advertising.
Grammar: Common in formal or business writing about tourism, health and spending.
Patterns
- spend money on leisure pursuits
- promote leisure pursuits
The report shows households spending more on leisure pursuits.
The council funds sports facilities and other leisure pursuits.
Word forms
| singular | leisure pursuit |
|---|
Common combinations
- popular leisure pursuits
- Walking and swimming are popular leisure pursuits here.
- outdoor leisure pursuits
- Outdoor leisure pursuits like hiking attract many visitors.
- take up a leisure pursuit
- She took up painting as a leisure pursuit.
- spend money on leisure pursuits
- Families spend more money on leisure pursuits than before.
- a range of leisure pursuits
- The club offers a range of leisure pursuits for all ages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hobbies
- More everyday and personal; 'leisure pursuits' sounds more formal and covers sports and outings too.
- pastimes
- Close in meaning but slightly old-fashioned and usually gentle activities like chess or gardening.
- recreation
- An uncountable noun for relaxing activities in general, not a countable list of activities.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: leisure pursuits or pleasure pursuits?
leisure pursuits vs pleasure pursuits
Not a standard phrase; 'pleasure' means enjoyment itself, while 'leisure pursuits' names the free-time activities.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'leisure pursuits' naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Leisure pursuits' are free-time activities, so hobbies like cycling and photography fit. Option 3 wrongly treats them as tasks with deadlines, and option 4 wrongly treats the phrase as an object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “leisure pursuits”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.