pass the time

1. pass the time of day . Exchange greetings, engage in pleasantries, chat, as in Whenever I met her we would stop to pass the time of day . [First half of 1800s]

2. Occupy oneself for an interval, as in The plane was six hours late but I passed the time reading a book .

Example Sentences

“I’m just trying to pass the time of anxiety, because in my mind, we have a full day of waiting and night of waiting for votes to be counted,” said Greaney, who was wearing an “I Voted” sticker.

From Los Angeles Times

“Love Is Blind” season is named for a game a few women play to pass the time: “Perfect Husband, but…” It’s about as serious as a slumber party as they offer a series of theoretical dealbreakers: “Perfect husband, but he doesn’t wear shoes anywhere.”

From Salon

Mr Cleary made the discovery after taking time off work following a sudden onset of hearing loss in 2021 - during which period he would pass the time at the national library in Stoker's native Dublin.

From BBC

The parents plan to play up the fire as a vacation for the kids — maybe taking them camping or finding some other fun way to pass the time.

From Los Angeles Times

To pass the time, the wealthy couple began throwing a ball at a wall and Viviana quickly fell in love with the rudimentary version of the game.

From BBC