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

Watching documentaries on ancient Iran has recently become a favorite pastime of Karen Yan, a 30-year-old finance worker in Beijing, after a tough day at work staring at market data telling the story of the war’s global ripple effects. —Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026

New American Cinema Going to the movies has long been a favorite American pastime, and these filmmakers are determined to keep it that way. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026

The style mishaps kept piling up as cracking wise about wardrobe and hair malfunctions became both a media and national pastime. —Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026

As for new pastimes, there are still free options like free YouTube videos on the internet for those who want to continue watching something on the couch, Conners said. —Medora Lee, USA Today, 10 Apr. 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