: 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
Kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling to see the lake's vibrant cichlid fish population are popular pastimes.
—
Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
Hockey, Canada’s national pastime, has also brought in visitors since Las Vegas was awarded a National Hockey League expansion team in 2016.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
No amount of shaming could make Jamie give up her favorite pastime.
—Bea Hines, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
But if the owners and players refuse to enact real reform, the expiration of a collective-bargaining agreement in December could lead not only to a lockout and lost games next year but a decline in the popularity and competitiveness of the national pastime itself.
—Paul Bledsoe, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pastime
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
Hockey, Canada’s national pastime, has also brought in visitors since Las Vegas was awarded a National Hockey League expansion team in 2016.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
No amount of shaming could make Jamie give up her favorite pastime.
—Bea Hines, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
But if the owners and players refuse to enact real reform, the expiration of a collective-bargaining agreement in December could lead not only to a lockout and lost games next year but a decline in the popularity and competitiveness of the national pastime itself.
—Paul Bledsoe, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pastime
Cite this Entry
“Pastime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastime. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pastime
noun
pas·time
ˈpas-ˌtīm 
: something that helps to make time pass agreeably
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
