downtime

noun

down·​time ˈdau̇n-ˌtīm 

1

: time during which production is stopped especially during setup for an operation or when making repairs

2

: inactive time (such as time between periods of work)

napping during our downtime

an injured athlete facing months of downtime

Synonyms

• winter
• break

Examples of downtime in a Sentence

After a busy day at work, I look forward to some downtime at home.

The kids napped during their downtime.

We need to minimize network downtime.

Recent Examples on the Web

For Coon, the downtime was especially welcome after years of nonstop work. —Avalon Hester, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025

Alternatively, the cylinder can be swapped in the field, allowing the UGV to return to action with little downtime. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025

That could mean doing a brief power walk at lunch or filling little bouts of downtime with an isometric exercise that’s easy to do in an office or home setting. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Sep. 2025

Charging is now up to two times faster, ensuring the watch is ready to go with less downtime. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for downtime

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime
• noontime