pastime

noun

pas·​time ˈpas-ˌtīm 

: something that amuses and serves to make time pass agreeably : diversion

Her favorite pastime is gardening.

Baseball has been a national pastime for many years.

Examples of pastime in a Sentence

Baseball has been a national pastime for years.

Recent Examples on the Web

After a wave of price hikes from some of the world's largest companies, including Amazon, Apple and Netflix, even at-home pastimes like streaming movies or playing video games are pinching the pocketbooks of consumers like Green. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 11 July 2026

An age-old Southern pastime is an increasingly popular Georgia High School Association championship sport. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 9 July 2026

Cataloging our nation’s problems has become a pastime on many podcasts and most cable news. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2026

Some people love them (eating cold pizza while standing in front of the fridge is a treasured pastime of mine). — Malaka Gharib, NPR, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pastime

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

Kids Definition

pastime

noun

pas·​time ˈpas-ˌtīm 

: something that helps to make time pass agreeably