waste time

Meaning

This phrase means to use time badly, uselessly, or on things that are not important or productive. It carries a negative connotation because time is treated as a valuable resource that is being lost. It is often followed by a gerund (verb-ing) or the preposition 'on'.

Examples

• Stop wasting time on social media and start doing your homework.

  Stop wasting time on social media and start doing your homework.

• I don't want to waste time arguing about things that don't matter.

  I don't want to waste time arguing about things that don't matter.

• We wasted a lot of time waiting in the wrong line at the airport.

  We wasted a lot of time waiting in the wrong line at the airport.

• It's a waste of time trying to convince him; he never changes his mind.

  It's a waste of time trying to convince him; he never changes his mind.

• She felt like she was wasting her time at that boring job.

  She felt like she was wasting her time at that boring job.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Don't lose your time watching silly videos.

  ✓ Don't waste your time watching silly videos.

  In English, you 'lose' an object or a game, but you 'waste' time when you use it unproductively.

• ✗ We wasted hours to search for our car keys.

  ✓ We wasted hours searching for our car keys.

  Just like 'spend time', 'waste time' is followed by a gerund (verb-ing), not an infinitive.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Don't ___ talking to him; he won't listen.

  💡 use your hours uselessly

  Show answer

  waste time

• I feel like I am ___ on this project because it will be canceled.

  💡 using my time unproductively

  Show answer

  wasting time