wastes time

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   Spends time on something useless or not worth doing.

   Grammar: Takes an object: wastes time. Often followed by on + noun or by an -ing form.

   Patterns

   • wastes time on something
   • wastes time doing something
   • wastes time arguing

   He wastes time on his phone every morning.

   She wastes time checking the same email again and again.

   The team wastes time arguing about small details.

2. 2verbintransitive

   Delays or is slow in a way that annoys other people.

   Grammar: No object in this use; it often describes a habit: he wastes time at work.

   Patterns

   • wastes time at work
   • wastes time in meetings

   The manager wastes time in meetings instead of making decisions.

   Don't let the driver waste time on the way to the airport.

Word forms

Common combinations

waste time on something

Don't waste time on details that don't matter.

waste time doing something

We wasted time waiting for the bus.

a waste of time

That meeting was a complete waste of time.

no time to waste

Hurry up; there's no time to waste.

Synonyms and how they differ

dawdle

Dawdle means to move or act slowly, often without a clear purpose; waste time can also mean using time badly on a specific activity.

idle away

Idle away time suggests relaxing or doing nothing in a pleasant way, while waste time is more negative.

Opposites

Word family

waste noun

The act of using something badly; also unwanted material.

wasteful adjective

Using more time, money, or energy than needed.

Commonly confused: wastes time or waste time?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “wastes time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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