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

Soon, the days would cool, and the boys would start another seasonal pastime. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

The concept recognizes that fantasy football has become more than a digital pastime. — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

When not searching for glass floats, enjoy other pastimes like tide pooling, beachcombing, and kite flying (home to two kite festivals, Lincoln City calls itself the Kite Capital of the World). — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2026

Because thrifting has become a favorite pastime among shoppers, so Goodwill wanted to give the community more opportunities to celebrate rather than limiting it to a single day, according to Chief Marketing Officer Karen Lithgow. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 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