Phrasing and Idioms for Time

Time Idioms and Phrases

 the amount of time that is used, needed, available, or allowed for a particular activity or for someone to do something

• You must complete the project within the time allotted.
• I'll try not to take up too much of your time.
• Thank you for your time. [=thank you for listening to me]

— often used with save

• This new system will save time [=take less time, be faster] and money.
• We can save a lot of time by using this shortcut.

— often used with lose

• They lost a lot of time getting started.
• You'll just have to make up for lost time by working harder now. [=you'll have to work faster because you have less time to finish the work]

— often used with spend

• He spends all his time watching TV.
• I'm looking forward to spending more time at home [=being at home more] with my family.

— often used with waste

• Stop wasting time [=doing nothing or doing something that is not useful] and get to work!
• They wasted no time in decorating their new apartment. [=they started decorating it immediately]
• That class was a (big) waste of time. [=the class was not good] I didn't learn a thing.

• The right moment to do something or for something to happen [count]

• This is no time for jokes.
• The time for talking has passed. We must take action now.
• There is a time and a place for everything.

[+] more examples

— often followed by to + verb

• Now is the perfect time to buy a new car.
• Now's not the time to discuss such things.

— often used with come

• We feel that the time has come for a decision to be made.
• When the time comes to move out of their apartment, they will have saved up enough money to buy a house.
• There comes a time when children leave their parents and start families of their own.
• an idea whose time has come [=an idea that is ready to be used]

• The quality of a person's experience on a particular occasion or during a particular period
• We all had a good/great/lovely time at the concert. [=we enjoyed the concert very much]
• Did you have a good time?
• A good time was had by all.

• The number of months, years, etc., that a person spends at a particular place or in a particular group or organization

• I learned a great deal during my time at Harvard.
• She used her time in the Senate to fight for the environment.

b [singular] : the number of months or years that an active member of the military is required to stay in the military

• She plans on going to college after she serves her time in the army. = She plans on going to college after she puts in her time in the army.
• He was an ex-soldier who did his time in Vietnam. [=he fought in Vietnam while he was a soldier]

c [noncount] informal : the number of days, months, or years that a person must stay in prison

• She's now doing time for armed robbery.
• (US) He could be facing hard time [=a long or difficult prison sentence] for his crimes.

times [plural] — used to say how much bigger, smaller, faster, etc., something is than something else

• Her salary is five times greater than mine. = She earns five times as much money as I do.
• The area received three times the amount of rain it got last year.
• You would have to spend two times [=twice] as much at a regular department store.
• Their original investment has paid for itself many times over.

against time

◊ If you are racing/working (etc.) against time or are in a race against time, you are doing something quickly because you have only a small amount of time.

• We're working against time to finish this book.
• They raced against time to get her to the hospital.
• It was a race against time to find a cure for the disease.

ahead of time

: before something happens : earlier than a time or event

• He called the restaurant ahead of time to make a dinner reservation.
• She read the report ahead of time to prepare for the meeting.

ahead of your/its time

◊ If you are ahead of your time or if your ideas, creations, etc., are ahead of their time, you are too advanced or modern to be understood or appreciated during the time when you live or work.

• As a director, he was ahead of his time. His movies are now regarded as classics, but they were unpopular when he made them.

(all) in good time

: when the appropriate moment arrives : when the time is right

• I'll let him know in good time.
• It will happen all in good time.

all (of) the time

1 

: always

• You can't be right all of the time.

2 

informal : very often or frequently

• “Do you ever take the subway to work?” “Yeah, all the time.”
• My sisters and I used to fight all of the time.

3 

usually all the time : since something began

• We thought that he disliked her, while all the time [=(more commonly) all along, the whole time] he was in love with her.
• I knew the truth all the time.
• The police knew all the time who was guilty.

any time (now)

: very soon

• The train should be arriving any time now.

at all times

: without stopping or changing at any time : always

• The system is kept running at all times.
• Keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times.

at a time

1 

: during one particular moment

• I can only do one thing at a time. [=at once]
• Please speak one at a time. [=so that only one person is speaking at any time]
• We carried the boxes two at a time up the stairs. [=we carried two boxes each time we went up the stairs]

2 

: during one period of time without stopping

• She can sit and read for hours at a time. [=at a stretch]

3 

◊ If you take one day at a time or take it/things one day at a time, you make progress in a slow and careful way by dealing with each day as it comes.

• We got through the ordeal by taking one day at a time. [=taking it day by day]

at the same time

1 

: during the same moment

• She was driving, eating, and talking on the phone all at the same time.
• She tries to appear to be both glamorous and modest at the same time.
• As a parent, he is at one and the same time strict and loving. [=he is both strict and loving]

2 

— used to introduce a statement that adds to and differs from a preceding statement

• The new regulations will help the environment. At the same time [=on the other hand], they may be a burden to businesses.
• She wants more respect, but at the same time she does nothing to earn it. = She wants more respect, while at the same time doing nothing to earn it.

at times

: sometimes

• He is an intelligent person, but he can be quite stubborn at times. [=from time to time]
• At times, I wondered if we were doing the right thing.

before your time

1 

— used to say that something happened before you were born or before you were involved in some activity

• You wouldn't know about that. It was before your time.

2 

◊ If you become old before your time, you look and feel older than you are.

• Such experiences make people old before their time.

3 

◊ If you die before your time, you die at a younger age than you should.

• Mozart died before his time.

buy time

: to get more time for someone or something

• The medication won't cure the disease but it will buy patients some time. [=it will allow patients to live longer]

for the time being

: during the present time but possibly not in the future

• I think we should stay here for the time being. [=for now]
• For the time being, this car suits all of our family's needs.

from time to time

: sometimes

• Such things are bound to happen from time to time. [=at times]
• From time to time [=occasionally, once in a while], it's nice to let someone else make the decisions.

give (someone) a hard time

— see 1hard

half the time

 informal

: very often

• Half the time I have no idea what my professor is talking about.

have time

1 

: to be able to use an amount of time for a particular purpose

• “Can you go to the store for me?” “I'm sorry, but I don'thave time.” [=I'm too busy]
• Unfortunately, I haven't got (the) time.
• We're on a deadline, but he acts like we have all the time in the world!

— often followed by to + verb

• I didn't have time to read the whole book.
• Do you have time to look this over for me?
• We haven't had any time to talk about it yet.

— often + for

• We don't have time for this nonsense!
• I don't have the time or the patience for this.
• Do we have enough time for another drink?
• We've got time for a few more questions.

2 

: to like or be willing to spend time dealing with (something or someone) — usually + for

• I have no time for liars.
• (Brit) We have a lot of time for her.

in no time

: very quickly or soon

• We'll be there in no time.
• Don't worry. It'll all be over in no time.

in time

1 

: before something happens : early enough

• Do you think we'll get there in time?

— often followed by to + verb

• They arrived just in time to catch the last train out of town.

— often + for

• I'll try to make it home in time for dinner.
• The CD will be released just in time for Christmas.

2 

: when an amount of time has passed

• In time, she forgave him.
• Things will get better in time. [=eventually]

in your own (good) time

: at the time that is right or appropriate for you and not sooner

• He'll make a decision in his own good time.
• Everything happens in its own time.

it's about time

 informal

— used to say often in an annoyed way that something should have happened sooner

• It's about time you got here. I've been waiting for over an hour!
• “They're getting married.” “Well, it's about time!”

keep time

1 

of a watch or clock : to show the correct time

• My watch keeps good/perfect time. [=it shows the correct time; it works well]

2 

music : to perform music at the correct speed

• Among other things, the conductor helps the orchestrakeep time (to the music).

make good time

: to travel somewhere quickly

• They made good time on their trip.
• We're making good time. We've already traveled a hundred miles today.

make time

: to cause an amount of time to be available for an activity

• I'll have to make (the) time to get it done.

— often + for

• She has trouble making time in her busy schedule forexercise.
• No matter how busy he was, Grandpa always made time for us.

most of the time

 or most times

: on most occasions : usually

• Sometimes I go out for lunch, but most of the time I bring my own lunch to work.
• Most times, this method works just fine.

ninety/ninety-nine (etc.) percent of the time

: on most occasions : usually

• I hate to admit it, but he's right ninety percent of the time. [=most of the time]

not give someone the time of day

◊ If you do not give someone the time of day, you do not give that person any attention or help.

• I asked them for directions, but they wouldn't give me the time of day.

of all time

: that has ever lived or existed

• In my opinion, he is still the greatest basketball player of all time.

(only) time will tell

— used to say that the results of a situation will be known only after a certain amount of time has passed

• “Will he be OK?” “I don't know. Only time will tell.”

on time

: at or before the correct moment : at a time that is not late

• Try to be there on time.
• I paid all of my bills on time [=when they were due] this month.
• Please hand in your homework on time.
• We arrived right on time. [=exactly at the right time]

take (the) time to do something

: to use an amount of time in order to do something important

• They never took the time to get to know her.
• Take (the) time to think about it before you make a decision.
• I took some time to think about it, and my answer is still “no.”

take time

◊ People say that something takes some/no (etc.) time to describe how much time is needed for something to happen or be done.

• You have to be patient. Things like this take time. [=things like this cannot be done quickly]
• It may take some time for the medication to wear off.
• The meeting won't take too much time. [=the meeting will be short]

[+] more examples

take your time

: to do something slowly or without hurrying

• I need to take my time and think about it for a while.
• There's no need to hurry. Take your time. [=take all the time you need]
• Please take your time filling out the form.

tell time

 (US) or British tell the time

: to be able to know what time it is by looking at a clock

• My son is just learning to tell time.

the whole time

1 

: since something began : during the entire period of time

• We thought that he disliked her, while the whole time[=all along, all the time] he was in love with her.
• I knew the truth the whole time.
• The police knew the whole time who was guilty.

2 

British : always

• You can't be right the whole time. [=all (of) the time]

3 

British, informal : very often

• My sisters and I used to fight the whole time. [=all (of) the time]

time after time

 or time and again or time and time again

: on many occasions : very often or frequently

• Time after time, we see this happen with our patients.
• I've told you time and again [=repeatedly] not to do that.

time flies

— used to say that time passes quickly

• As they say, “Time flies when you're having fun.”
• Your son is in high school already? My, how time flies!

time heals all wounds

 or chiefly British time is a/the great healer

— used to say that feelings of sadness, disappointment, etc., gradually go away as time passes

• I thought I would never be able to love again, but, as they say, time heals all wounds.

time is money

— see money

time is (not) on your side

◊ If time is on your side, you have a good chance of success because you can wait until a situation improves. If time is not on your side, your chance of success is less because you have to do something very soon.

• House prices are all dropping, and in the case of home buyers, time is on their side. [=the houses that people want to buy will become cheaper as more time passes]
• If we wait too long to buy the tickets, the concert may be sold out: time is not on our side. [=all the tickets may be sold if we wait too long to buy them]

time marches on

: time continues to pass

• I was very disappointed when it happened. But time marches on, and I've learned to accept it now.

time was (when)

 old-fashioned

— used to say that something was true in the past and usually to express annoyance that it is no longer true

• Time was, you could buy a candy bar for a nickel.
• Time was when people respected their elders. [=people used to respect their elders in the past]

until such time as

 formal

: until the time when : until

• He will be suspended from work until such time as this matter has been resolved.

your (own) sweet time

 chiefly US, informal

◊ If you do something in your (own) sweet time or you take your (own) sweet time about doing something, you do it slowly even though other people want you to do it more quickly.

• She's taking her own sweet time about finishing the work.