Wasting time may not always be a bad thing, especially when you’re diving into the world of slang that captures those moments perfectly. From browsing aimlessly online to procrastinating with purpose, our team has rounded up the top phrases that encapsulate the art of wasting time like no other. Get ready to nod in agreement and maybe even pick up a few new expressions to add to your vocabulary!
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1. Kill time
This phrase is used to describe the act of doing something to occupy oneself and make time pass in a leisurely or unproductive manner.
- For example, “I usually kill time by playing video games when I’m waiting for the bus.”
- Someone might say, “Let’s grab a coffee to kill time before the movie starts.”
- A person might mention, “I like to read books to kill time during long flights.”
2. Veg out
To “veg out” means to engage in mindless or unproductive activities, often by lounging around and doing nothing.
- For instance, “After a long week, I just want to veg out on the couch and watch Netflix.”
- A person might say, “I’m going to veg out and listen to music for a while.”
- Someone might mention, “I like to veg out in the park and people-watch on weekends.”
3. Zone out
When someone “zones out,” they become absorbed in their own thoughts and become oblivious to what is happening around them.
- For example, “I tend to zone out during long meetings.”
- A person might say, “I often zone out while listening to music.”
- Someone might mention, “I find it hard to focus on lectures, so I end up zoning out.”
4. Twiddle thumbs
To “twiddle thumbs” means to sit or stand idly, often with nothing to do and feeling bored or impatient.
- For instance, “I twiddled my thumbs in the waiting room for over an hour.”
- Someone might say, “Instead of twiddling your thumbs, why not do something productive?”
- A person might mention, “I hate twiddling my thumbs while waiting for the bus.”
5. Dilly-dally
To “dilly-dally” means to postpone or delay action, often due to indecisiveness or a lack of motivation.
- For example, “Stop dilly-dallying and make a decision.”
- Someone might say, “We can’t afford to dilly-dally if we want to finish the project on time.”
- A person might mention, “I tend to dilly-dally when it comes to cleaning my room.”
6. Lollygag
Lollygagging refers to spending time idly or in a lazy manner, often without any clear objective or goal.
- For example, “Stop lollygagging and get to work!”
- A parent might scold their child, saying, “Quit lollygagging and finish your homework.”
- A friend might jokingly say, “We spent the whole day lollygagging at the beach.”
7. Fritter away
Frittering away time means to spend it in a frivolous or unproductive manner, often on trivial or unimportant activities.
- For instance, “Don’t fritter away your time on social media.”
- A person might regretfully say, “I frittered away my weekend binge-watching TV shows.”
- A friend might advise, “Instead of frittering away your money on unnecessary purchases, save it for something important.”
8. Piddle around
Piddling around refers to engaging in unimportant or trivial activities, often without any clear purpose or goal.
- For example, “Stop piddling around and start working on the project.”
- A person might admit, “I spent the whole afternoon piddling around on my phone.”
- A friend might jokingly say, “I piddle around in the kitchen trying to cook, but it usually ends in disaster.”
9. Loaf around
Loafing around means to spend time idly or in a lazy manner, often without any specific objective or goal in mind.
- For instance, “I loafed around the house all day, not doing anything productive.”
- A person might say, “I’m tired of loafing around. I need to find something meaningful to do.”
- A friend might suggest, “Let’s loaf around at the park and enjoy the sunshine.”
10. Hang out
Hanging out refers to spending time with friends or acquaintances in a casual and relaxed manner, often without any specific agenda or purpose.
- For example, “Let’s hang out at the coffee shop and chat.”
- A person might say, “I love hanging out with my friends and just enjoying each other’s company.”
- A friend might invite, “Want to hang out at my place and watch a movie?”
11. Chillax
Chillax is a combination of the words “chill” and “relax.” It means to take it easy, unwind, and not do anything productive or important.
- For example, “I’m just going to chillax on the couch and watch some TV.”
- A friend might ask, “What are you doing this weekend?” and you could reply, “I have no plans, just going to chillax.”
- Someone might say, “I had a stressful week, so I’m looking forward to chillaxing by the pool.”
12. Slack off
Slack off means to be lazy or avoid doing work or responsibilities. It refers to not putting in effort or not being productive when you should be.
- For instance, “I can’t believe he’s slacking off again instead of finishing his assignments.”
- A teacher might scold a student, saying, “Stop slacking off and pay attention in class.”
- A coworker might complain, “I can’t get anything done because everyone around me is slacking off.”
13. Lounge around
Lounge around means to spend time in a relaxed and leisurely manner, often without any specific purpose or activity. It refers to being idle and not engaging in productive tasks.
- For example, “I’m just going to lounge around the house all day and do nothing.”
- Someone might ask, “What did you do on your day off?” and you could reply, “I just lounged around and enjoyed some quiet time.”
- A friend might suggest, “Let’s go to the park and lounge around in the sun.”
14. Putter around
Putter around means to engage in small, unimportant tasks or activities without making much progress or accomplishing anything significant. It refers to wasting time on trivial or unnecessary things.
- For instance, “I spent the whole afternoon puttering around in the garage, organizing my tools.”
- A parent might say to their child, “Stop puttering around and finish your homework.”
- A person might admit, “I tend to putter around when I have a lot of things to do but don’t know where to start.”
15. Tarry
Tarry means to delay or linger in a place without any specific purpose or urgency. It refers to wasting time by staying longer than necessary or not moving forward.
- For example, “I can’t tarry here any longer, I have to get to work.”
- A friend might say, “Don’t tarry too long, we’re supposed to meet in 10 minutes.”
- A person might reflect, “I often find myself tarrying in bookstores, just browsing and not buying anything.”
16. Doodle
Doodling refers to the act of drawing or scribbling without any specific purpose or goal in mind. It is often done absentmindedly while wasting time or during a boring activity.
- For example, “I was so bored during the meeting that I started doodling on my notepad.”
- Someone might say, “I like to doodle when I’m on the phone and have nothing else to do.”
- A student might confess, “I tend to doodle in the margins of my notebook when I’m not paying attention in class.”
17. Procrastinate
Procrastination is the act of intentionally putting off or postponing tasks or responsibilities, often in favor of more enjoyable or less demanding activities. It is a common behavior when trying to waste time or avoid doing something.
- For instance, “I always procrastinate on studying for exams until the last minute.”
- Someone might admit, “I tend to procrastinate on household chores and leave them for the weekend.”
- A student might say, “I know I need to start my essay, but I keep procrastinating and finding other things to do.”
18. Goldbrick
Goldbricking refers to the act of avoiding work or responsibilities by pretending to be busy or engaged in productive tasks. It involves wasting time and appearing to be productive while actually accomplishing very little.
- For example, “He’s always goldbricking at the office, pretending to be busy but never actually getting anything done.”
- Someone might say, “I caught my roommate goldbricking instead of cleaning the apartment like he promised.”
- A coworker might complain, “She’s always goldbricking and leaving the hard work for the rest of us.”
19. Shilly-shally
Shilly-shallying refers to the act of hesitating, being indecisive, or wasting time by not making a clear choice or taking action. It often involves going back and forth between options without making a firm decision.
- For instance, “Stop shilly-shallying and just choose a restaurant for dinner.”
- Someone might say, “I tend to shilly-shally when it comes to making big decisions.”
- A friend might tease, “You’re always shilly-shallying and never committing to plans.”
20. Loll around
Lolling around refers to the act of lounging or relaxing in a lazy or idle manner, often without any specific purpose or activity. It involves wasting time by simply being unproductive and enjoying leisure time.
- For example, “I spent the entire weekend lolling around in bed, watching movies.”
- Someone might say, “I like to loll around on the couch and read a book when I have free time.”
- A person might confess, “Sometimes I just loll around and do nothing productive, and that’s okay.”
21. Put off
To avoid doing something or to procrastinate on a task.
- For example, “I keep putting off cleaning my room.”
- A person might say, “I always put off doing my homework until the last minute.”
- Someone might complain, “I need to stop putting off going to the gym.”
22. Laze about
To relax and do nothing or to be unproductive.
- For instance, “I just want to laze about and watch TV all day.”
- A person might say, “I love lazing about on lazy Sundays.”
- Someone might suggest, “Let’s just laze about by the pool this weekend.”
23. Waste away
To spend time in a way that does not contribute to any productive outcome.
- For example, “I wasted away the whole day playing video games.”
- A person might say, “Don’t waste away your summer vacation sitting at home.”
- Someone might warn, “Don’t let your life waste away by not pursuing your dreams.”
24. Fiddle around
To spend time doing unimportant or trivial tasks.
- For instance, “I spent the afternoon fiddling around with my phone.”
- A person might say, “Stop fiddling around and get to work.”
- Someone might ask, “What are you fiddling around with over there?”
25. Putter about
To spend time doing small or insignificant tasks.
- For example, “I spent the morning puttering about in the garden.”
- A person might say, “I like puttering about the house on my days off.”
- Someone might comment, “He’s always puttering about, but never gets anything done.”
26. Piddle about
This phrase is often used to describe someone who is wasting time by engaging in trivial or unimportant activities.
- For example, “I spent the whole afternoon piddling about on my phone.”
- Someone might say, “Stop piddling about and start working on your assignment.”
- A parent might scold their child, “Quit piddling about and clean your room.”
27. Loaf about
This expression refers to the act of being unproductive or wasting time by doing nothing in particular.
- For instance, “I don’t have any plans for the weekend, so I’ll probably just loaf about.”
- A friend might ask, “What have you been up to lately?” and you might respond, “Just loafing about, enjoying some downtime.”
- Someone might say, “I can’t afford to loaf about all day, I have work to do.”
28. Chill out
This phrase is commonly used to describe the act of unwinding or taking a break from activities that require effort or focus.
- For example, “After a long day at work, I like to chill out and watch some TV.”
- A friend might suggest, “Let’s chill out at the beach this weekend.”
- Someone might say, “I need to chill out and destress before I can focus on anything else.”
29. Slack around
This expression is used to describe someone who is wasting time by not putting in the necessary effort or avoiding their responsibilities.
- For instance, “I can’t believe he’s slacking around instead of finishing his project.”
- A coworker might complain, “I’m tired of picking up the slack while others slack around.”
- A parent might scold their child, “Stop slacking around and start doing your homework.”
30. Putter away
This phrase is often used to describe someone who is wasting time by engaging in activities that are not productive or meaningful.
- For example, “I spent the whole afternoon puttering away in the garden.”
- Someone might say, “I can’t afford to putter away all day, I have important tasks to complete.”
- A friend might ask, “What did you do over the weekend?” and you might respond, “Just puttered away, taking care of small tasks and enjoying some downtime.”
31. Tarry around
This phrase means to spend time idly or without accomplishing anything. It implies a sense of wasting time or being unproductive.
- For example, “I decided to tarry around the park instead of going to work.”
- A friend might say, “Let’s tarry around the mall and see if there’s anything interesting.”
- In a conversation about productivity, someone might mention, “I need to stop tarrying around and start working on my goals.”
32. Laze away
This phrase suggests spending time in a leisurely or lazy manner, without engaging in any meaningful activities or tasks.
- For instance, “I just want to laze away the weekend and do nothing.”
- A person might say, “I can’t believe I lazed away the whole afternoon watching TV.”
- In a discussion about time management, someone might admit, “I tend to laze away my mornings and then rush to finish my work.”
33. Faff around
This phrase implies spending time on unimportant or trivial tasks, often without a clear purpose or direction.
- For example, “I’ve been faffing around all day and haven’t accomplished anything.”
- A friend might say, “Stop faffing around and start focusing on your priorities.”
- In a conversation about efficiency, someone might mention, “I need to stop faffing around and start being more productive.”
34. Linger around
This phrase suggests staying in a particular location or situation for an extended period without any apparent purpose or urgency.
- For instance, “I like to linger around the park and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.”
- A person might say, “I lingered around the office after work because I didn’t want to go home.”
- In a discussion about time management, someone might admit, “I tend to linger around social media and waste a lot of time.”
35. Doss about
This phrase implies spending time in a lazy or unproductive manner, often without any specific purpose or goal.
- For example, “I dossed about all day and didn’t accomplish anything.”
- A friend might say, “Let’s doss about and do something fun instead of working.”
- In a conversation about productivity, someone might mention, “I need to stop dossing about and start focusing on my tasks.”
36. Doodle around
This phrase refers to engaging in unproductive or idle activities, often without a specific purpose or goal in mind.
- For example, “I have a lot of work to do, but I find myself just doodling around on the internet.”
- A person might say, “Instead of studying, I ended up doodling around all afternoon.”
- Another might complain, “I feel like I’m just doodling around with my life and not making any progress.”