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

Enjoying a swimming hole in the summer is a prime Vermont pastime, but the state's waterways are just as magical in the colder months. —Megan Margulies, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025

Perusing real-estate listings has since become a national pastime—not to mention a collective exercise in sanctioned snooping and quasi-erotic wish fulfillment. —Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

News of the White House’s softening stance prompted Wall Street to claw back about half of Friday’s losses—a narrative that is becoming par for the course (to leverage the lingo of the president’s favorite pastime). —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025

In contrast, stock trading has always been a fairly common pastime in Saudi Arabia. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025

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