LookItUp

while away

Meaning in simple English, pronunciation and examples

Pronunciation: US /ˌwaɪl əˈweɪ/

while away means: To spend time in a relaxed, pleasant way, without doing anything important.

verb

SPEND TIME PLEASANTLYC1

To spend time in a relaxed, pleasant way, without doing anything important.

  • We whiled away the afternoon in the garden.
  • She whiles away long journeys reading novels.
  • How do you while away the hours on rainy days?

How to use it: while away + time + doing something (We whiled away the afternoon playing cards.); while something away (She whiled the hours away with a book.)

Similar words: pass the time, kill time

Common phrases: while away the hours, while away an afternoon, while away some time

TIME PASSESC2

If time does this, it passes.

  • The hours whiled away slowly.
  • The afternoon whiled away as we waited by the window.
  • Long days whiled away in the quiet village.

Similar words: pass, elapse

Common phrases: hours while away, days while away

Questions about while away

What does while away mean?

To spend time in a relaxed, pleasant way, without doing anything important.

What is while away in other languages?

Türkçe: hoşça vakit geçirmek · Español: pasar el rato · Français: passer agréablement le temps · Deutsch: sich die Zeit vertreiben · Italiano: passare piacevolmente il tempo · 日本語: のんびり時間を過ごす

How do you pronounce while away?

It is pronounced /ˌwaɪl əˈweɪ/.

How do you use while away in a sentence?

We whiled away the afternoon in the garden. She whiles away long journeys reading novels.

Learn while away while you read

LookItUp shows the meaning that fits your sentence, in your language, and turns new words into quick practice cards.

Coming soon on the App Store LookItUp app for iPhone and iPad

while away in other languages

More words