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 of downtime

• 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

This year’s schedule has 84 games instead of 82 but without a three-week Olympic break, isn’t as compressed, allowing teams that travel extensively like the Sharks a bit more downtime between games. — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 16 July 2026

Rob Griffiths, senior vice president of Commercial Engines Operations at Pratt & Whitney, said wider adoption of the technology will help maintenance teams detect issues sooner and reduce engine downtime. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026

At the same time, the episode still leaves space for slower beats, including some joyously non-essential downtime moments. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026

Sicardi thought the lack of downtime or recovery added to a kind of cognitive dissonance regarding the product’s ingredient list. — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 13 July 2026

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