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

While working at a New York City hedge fund, Marchitelli started an Instagram account in his downtime by posting (mostly headless) images of himself in a variety of custom suits. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Dependencies The power stack in a data center is critical to keeping the facility running with minimal downtime. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Sleep, for instance, isn’t downtime but active maintenance, when the brain flushes out cellular waste in ways that may help stave off dementia. — Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026

The domestic refining industry cannot sustain operating at 96% capacity for much longer before downtime for periodic maintenance and safety inspections must take place. — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 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