Idioms are fun figures of speech where words mean something different together than they do separately. People use these creative expressions to make their speaking and writing much more colorful and interesting. In this lesson, you will learn a wonderful collection of idioms connected to free time and relaxation.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean having spare time, relaxing, and taking a break. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Free Time
1. Kick up your feet
Definition: To relax completely and take a well-deserved rest after working hard.
Used in a Sentence: After finishing all his homework, he decided to kick up his feet on the sofa. / Mom loves to kick up her feet with a good book on Sunday afternoons.
Similar Expressions: Put your feet up / Relax completely
2. Have time on your hands
Definition: To have plenty of spare time with nothing specific scheduled to do.
Used in a Sentence: Since summer vacation started, she has had plenty of time on her hands. / With no chores left, he found himself with too much time on his hands.
Similar Expressions: Have spare time / Be completely free
3. Kill time
Definition: To do something casual and unimportant while waiting for an event to start.
Used in a Sentence: We played card games in the lobby to kill time before the movie began. / He read comic books to kill time while waiting for the bus.
Similar Expressions: Pass the time / Wait around
4. Beat the clock
Definition: To finish a task or arrive somewhere just before a time limit runs out.
Used in a Sentence: They raced against the rain to beat the clock and pack the picnic baskets. / We hurried to finish our math worksheet to beat the clock before recess ended.
Similar Expressions: Race against time / Finish early
5. Around the clock
Definition: Happening continuously 24 hours a day without stopping.
Used in a Sentence: The hospital emergency room stays open around the clock to help people. / During the school science fair setup, volunteers worked almost around the clock.
Similar Expressions: 24 hours a day / Continuously non-stop
6. At the eleventh hour
Definition: Doing something at the very last possible moment before it is too late.
Used in a Sentence: He submitted his history report at the eleventh hour before midnight. / She finished painting her art project at the eleventh hour before the bell rang.
Similar Expressions: At the last minute / Just in time
7. Time flies
Definition: The feeling that time passes by extremely quickly when you are having fun.
Used in a Sentence: Playing video games with friends makes time fly so fast. / When you are enjoying a fun birthday party, time really flies.
Similar Expressions: Time goes fast / Hours slip away
8. Take your time
Definition: To proceed slowly and carefully without rushing or feeling stressed.
Used in a Sentence: There is no need to hurry on the quiz, so please take your time. / The art teacher told everyone to take their time crafting the pottery.
Similar Expressions: Do not rush / Go at your own pace
9. In the nick of time
Definition: Arriving or finishing an action just before it is too late.
Used in a Sentence: We reached the train platform in the nick of time before the doors closed. / He grabbed his spelling folder in the nick of time before the teacher collected them.
Similar Expressions: Just barely in time / Right at the limit
10. Turn back the hands of time
Definition: To wish you could reverse history and go back to an earlier moment.
Used in a Sentence: After losing his favorite toy, he wished he could turn back the hands of time. / Looking at old photo albums made her want to turn back the hands of time.
Similar Expressions: Reverse time / Go back to the past
11. Ahead of your time
Definition: Having modern ideas or inventions long before other people understand them.
Used in a Sentence: The young inventor design was so creative that it felt far ahead of its time. / His unique art style was truly ahead of its time.
Similar Expressions: Futuristic ideas / Ahead of the curve
12. Behind the times
Definition: Being old-fashioned and not knowing about modern trends or technology.
Used in a Sentence: My grandfather jokes that he is a bit behind the times when using smartphones. / Wearing those retro sneakers does not mean you are behind the times.
Similar Expressions: Outdated / Old-fashioned style
13. For the time being
Definition: Temporarily for now until something changes in the near future.
Used in a Sentence: We will use the smaller classroom for the club meetings for the time being. / He kept his bicycle in the garage for the time being.
Similar Expressions: For now / Temporarily
14. High time
Definition: When something should have been done already and cannot wait any longer.
Used in a Sentence: It is high time you cleaned up your messy bedroom floor. / The teacher said it was high time for the class to quiet down.
Similar Expressions: Long overdue time / About time
15. Long time no see
Definition: A friendly greeting used when you encounter someone you haven’t met in a while.
Used in a Sentence: When I ran into my old camp counselor at the store, I shouted long time no see. / We hugged our visiting cousin and said long time no see.
Similar Expressions: Great to see you again / It has been a while
16. On the spur of the moment
Definition: Doing something spontaneously without any prior planning or scheduling.
Used in a Sentence: On the spur of the moment, we decided to get ice cream after school. / She planned the backyard campout on the spur of the moment.
Similar Expressions: Spontaneously / Without planning
17. Time on your hands
Definition: Having zero tasks or duties to worry about for hours.
Used in a Sentence: Having a rainy Saturday afternoon meant having plenty of time on your hands. / He wondered what to do with so much time on his hands.
Similar Expressions: Free time / Unoccupied hours
18. Watch the clock
Definition: To keep looking at the time repeatedly because you are bored or waiting to leave.
Used in a Sentence: During the last ten minutes of the lecture, students started to watch the clock. / He couldn’t concentrate on his chores because he kept watching the clock.
Similar Expressions: Check the time / Wait impatiently
19. Stand the test of time
Definition: To remain strong, popular, or useful for many years without breaking down.
Used in a Sentence: Classic fairy tales like Cinderella continue to stand the test of time. / That sturdy wooden treehouse built by my dad has stood the test of time.
Similar Expressions: Last forever / Endure through history
20. Call it a day
Definition: To stop working on a project or activity and rest for the remainder.
Used in a Sentence: After weeding the garden for three hours, grandma decided to call it a day. / The coach told the team to pack up their gear and call it a day.
Similar Expressions: Stop working / Finish for now
21. Burning the candle at both ends
Definition: Working so hard and staying up so late that you exhaust your energy.
Used in a Sentence: Studying for finals while playing sports meant he was burning the candle at both ends. / She felt tired because she had been burning the candle at both ends all week.
Similar Expressions: Overworking yourself / Exhausting energy
22. In the long run
Definition: Over an extended period of time in the future rather than right away.
Used in a Sentence: Practicing your piano scales daily will help you become a better musician in the long run. / Saving your allowance coins pays off in the long run.
Similar Expressions: Eventually / Over time
23. Leap at the opportunity
Definition: To accept a fun chance or offer immediately without any hesitation.
Used in a Sentence: When offered a spot on the travel soccer team, she leaped at the opportunity. / He leaped at the chance to visit the science museum with his friends.
Similar Expressions: Grab the chance / Accept eagerly
24. Make up for lost time
Definition: To work extra hard or have extra fun to compensate for past delays.
Used in a Sentence: After being sick indoors for a week, she played outside to make up for lost time. / We stayed up late playing board games to make up for lost time.
Similar Expressions: Compensate for delay / Catch up on fun
25. Once in a blue moon
Definition: An activity that you do very rarely during your spare moments.
Used in a Sentence: My brother watches television during the week once in a blue moon. / We visit the local arcade once in a blue moon.
Similar Expressions: Very rarely / Hardly ever
26. Pause for thought
Definition: To stop what you are doing and take a quiet moment to think deeply.
Used in a Sentence: The challenging riddle gave the students a great pause for thought. / Her clever question caused everyone in the room to pause for thought.
Similar Expressions: Think carefully / Reflect briefly
27. Play it by ear
Definition: To decide what to do during your free time as events unfold without a plan.
Used in a Sentence: We didn’t schedule any specific afternoon activities, so we decided to play it by ear. / Let’s not make strict weekend plans and just play it by ear.
Similar Expressions: Improvise / Decide later
28. Run out of steam
Definition: To lose all your energy and motivation after playing or working for hours.
Used in a Sentence: After running around the playground all morning, the puppies ran out of steam. / I started the puzzle with excitement, but I quickly ran out of steam.
Similar Expressions: Get tired / Lose energy
29. Save your breath
Definition: To stop talking because speaking won’t change anything or is unnecessary.
Used in a Sentence: If he refuses to listen to advice, you might as well save your breath. / There was no use arguing about the weather, so she saved her breath.
Similar Expressions: Stop talking / Remain silent
30. Take a breather
Definition: To stop working or playing briefly to rest and catch your breath.
Used in a Sentence: After racing around the soccer field, the players took a breather on the bench. / Let’s take a breather before carrying the heavy boxes upstairs.
Similar Expressions: Rest a moment / Pause for air
31. Time on your hands
Definition: Having an empty schedule with plenty of hours to fill with hobbies.
Used in a Sentence: Having a snow day meant having unexpected time on your hands. / She painted watercolors because she had free time on her hands.
Similar Expressions: Spare hours / Empty schedule
32. Catch your breath
Definition: To rest after physical exercise or rushing until you breathe normally again.
Used in a Sentence: I sat on the porch step for a minute to catch my breath after biking uphill. / The runner stopped by the water fountain to catch his breath.
Similar Expressions: Rest awhile / Recover breathing
33. Day in and day out
Definition: Repeating the same routine consistently every single day.
Used in a Sentence: Practicing violin scales day in and day out helped her win the music trophy. / He worked on his soapbox derby car day in and day out.
Similar Expressions: Constantly / Every single day
34. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop
Definition: A traditional saying meaning that having nothing to do can lead to mischief.
Used in a Sentence: Grandma reminded us that idle hands are the devil’s workshop when we complained of boredom. / Find a hobby because idle hands can lead to trouble.
Similar Expressions: Boredom causes mischief / Stay active
35. Living on borrowed time
Definition: Continuing an activity long past when you should have stopped.
Used in a Sentence: Playing video games past midnight meant he was living on borrowed time before waking up. / Our old lawnmower worked, but it felt like it was living on borrowed time.
Similar Expressions: Past the limit / Extending time
36. Not have a moment to spare
Definition: Being so busy with activities that you have zero free time.
Used in a Sentence: Between piano lessons and soccer practice, she did not have a moment to spare. / The chef didn’t have a moment to spare during the dinner rush.
Similar Expressions: Super busy / Packed schedule
37. Out of the frying pan into the fire
Definition: Moving from one relaxing break right into an even busier task.
Used in a Sentence: Escaping one chore only to be handed homework felt like jumping out of the pan into the fire. / We left a noisy room, but the next area was even louder, jumping into the fire.
Similar Expressions: From bad to worse / Worsening trouble
38. Pass the time of day
Definition: To have a friendly, casual chat with someone during a quiet moment.
Used in a Sentence: Our neighbor stopped by the garden fence just to pass the time of day with dad. / We sat on the park bench to pass the time of day watching birds.
Similar Expressions: Chat casually / Greet friendly
39. Push your luck
Definition: To take an unnecessary risk when you already have enough free time or fun.
Used in a Sentence: Staying out past curfew after already getting a warning is pushing your luck. / He asked for a second dessert, but his mom said he was pushing his luck.
Similar Expressions: Take risks / Push boundaries
40. Rest on your laurels
Definition: To stop trying hard and just enjoy past successes during your downtime.
Used in a Sentence: Winning the science fair was great, but he couldn’t rest on his laurels for long. / The team celebrated, but knew they shouldn’t rest on their laurels.
Similar Expressions: Coast on success / Stop striving
41. Right as rain
Definition: Feeling perfectly refreshed and healthy after taking a good rest.
Used in a Sentence: After a long afternoon nap, my little brother woke up right as rain. / Drink some water and rest, and you will feel right as rain soon.
Similar Expressions: Perfectly fine / Fully recovered
42. See which way the wind blows
Definition: To wait and observe a situation before deciding how to spend your time.
Used in a Sentence: Instead of making plans right away, we decided to see which way the wind blows. / He waited to see which way the wind blows before joining a club.
Similar Expressions: Wait and see / Observe first
43. Steal someone’s thunder
Definition: Taking away someone’s fun moment or spotlight unexpectedly.
Used in a Sentence: Shouting out the puzzle answer before she could didn’t mean to steal her thunder. / He announced his trip early and accidentally stole his brother’s thunder.
Similar Expressions: Take the spotlight / Overshadow someone
44. Take a rain check
Definition: To politely decline a fun invitation right now with the hope of doing it later.
Used in a Sentence: I have too much homework tonight, so can I take a rain check on the movie? / She took a rain check on the bike ride because of the approaching storm.
Similar Expressions: Postpone plans / Do it later
45. Time heals all wounds
Definition: The belief that sadness or boredom fades away as days pass.
Used in a Sentence: Losing the school game hurt, but time heals all wounds. / Don’t worry about the awkward mistake, time heals all wounds.
Similar Expressions: Time cures / Sorrow fades
46. Time marches on
Definition: The unstoppable flow of time that continues moving forward regardless of events.
Used in a Sentence: Summer vacation ended quickly because time marches on no matter what. / We grew up fast because time marches on relentlessly.
Similar Expressions: Time keeps moving / Days pass on
47. Waste precious time
Definition: To spend your free hours doing nothing useful or entertaining.
Used in a Sentence: Stop scrolling on the phone and don’t waste precious time on sunny days. / We didn’t want to waste precious time arguing over board game rules.
Similar Expressions: Waste hours / Idle away
48. Weather the storm
Definition: To successfully survive a busy or difficult period of work or waiting.
Used in a Sentence: Working together helped the club weather the storm during finals week. / We stayed calm and managed to weather the storm of chores.
Similar Expressions: Survive trouble / Ride it out
49. Zero hour
Definition: The exact moment when a fun event or activity is scheduled to begin.
Used in a Sentence: We gathered around the birthday cake waiting for zero hour to sing. / At zero hour, the referee blew the whistle to start the match.
Similar Expressions: Starting time / Moment of action
50. Beat about the bush
Definition: Delaying getting to the relaxing part or direct point of a conversation.
Used in a Sentence: Stop beating about the bush and tell us what game we are playing. / He beat about the bush instead of asking for permission to go outside.
Similar Expressions: Avoid the point / Stall around
Exercise to Practice
- After finishing all his homework, he decided to kick up his feet on the sofa.
- The math textbook decided to kick up its feet on the sofa during science class.
- Since summer vacation started, she has had plenty of time on her hands.
- We played card games in the lobby to kill time before the movie began.
- My backpack killed time in the lobby and flew away into the blue sky.
- They raced against the rain to beat the clock and pack the picnic baskets.
- The hospital emergency room stays open around the clock to help people.
- We used an around the clock idiom to paint the classroom walls green.
- He submitted his history report at the eleventh hour before midnight.
- Playing video games with friends makes time fly so fast.
- The school playground baked a chocolate cake in the oven during math class.
- There is no need to hurry on the quiz, so please take your time.
- We reached the train platform in the nick of time before the doors closed.
- We ate the nick of time for breakfast with syrup and butter.
- After losing his favorite toy, he wished he could turn back the hands of time.
Answer Key
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps you understand everyday English and makes your writing about free time and relaxation much more engaging. Try using a few of these expressions when chatting with your classmates or writing stories this week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for free time?
Common expressions include kick up your feet and have time on your hands, which describe relaxation and spare hours. These phrases help make your English writing sound much more descriptive and fun.
Why do we use idioms in English?
We use these figurative phrases to express common ideas using creative word pictures. They let us communicate everyday thoughts in a colorful and memorable way.
How can I practice learning these idioms?
You can practice by using them in creative writing exercises or when describing daily relaxation events in stories. Creating short tales with these phrases is also a great way to remember them.
Are free time idioms hard to understand?
Most of these idioms are easy to learn once you understand their figurative meaning, like time flies or kill time. They usually stand for common leisure and scheduling situations.
Can I use these expressions in school writing?
Yes, using these idioms adds personality and flair to your personal narratives and essays. Just make sure you use them in the right context so your meaning is clear.
