English Idioms with Time: Make Time, Save Time, Kill Time, and More
Time is one of those words we use every single day. We talk about having time, running out of time, or wishing we had more of it. But in English, “time” is not just about clocks and calendars — it shows up in dozens of useful expressions that people use in daily life. From “make time” when you want to show something is important, to “kill time” when you’re just waiting around, these phrases make your English sound more natural and confident. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most common expressions with time and see how you can use them in your own conversations.
1. Make time
Have you ever been so busy that you feel like there’s no space left in your day? And yet, when something really matters — like meeting a friend or helping your child with homework — you suddenly make time for it. That’s exactly what this phrase means: to deliberately arrange your schedule for something important.
Examples:
- I always try to make time for my family, even on the busiest days.
- She’s busy with work, but she still makes time to call her parents every evening.
- We need to make time for exercise if we want to stay healthy.
2. Find time
Do you ever wonder how some people manage to do everything? They work, study, meet friends, exercise, and still seem to have free evenings. The truth is, they don’t have extra hours in a day — they just find time. This means managing to fit something into your schedule, even if it’s difficult.
Examples:
- I don’t know how she finds time to read so many books.
- He always finds time to help his classmates with homework.
- I’ll try to find time to meet you this weekend.
Now that you know how to talk about making time, let’s see how English speakers talk about saving or losing time.
3. Save time
Imagine you’re late for school, and instead of walking, you take the bus. You arrive much faster — you just saved time! This expression is used when you do something in a quicker or more efficient way.
Examples:
- Taking a shortcut really saves time in the morning.
- Using a washing machine saves time compared to handwashing clothes.
- Online shopping saves time when you don’t want to go to crowded stores.
4. Buy time
Have you ever needed a little extra time before giving an answer? Maybe in class, you ask a question back to your teacher just to think a bit more. That’s called buying time. It means delaying or creating extra time, often while under pressure.
Examples:
- He told a quick joke to buy time before starting his speech.
- The teacher asked the students to discuss the question, which bought her some time to fix the projector.
- She asked for a glass of water to buy time before answering.
5. Kill time
Have you ever been waiting for a bus or sitting in a doctor’s office with nothing to do? To keep yourself from getting bored, you scroll through your phone or play a quick game. That’s what we call killing time — doing something just to keep busy while you wait.
Examples:
- I listened to music to kill time while waiting for my friend.
- She always carries a book to kill time on long train rides.
- We played cards to kill time before dinner.
6. Waste time
Think about a day when you planned to study, but instead, you spent three hours watching random videos online. At the end, you regret it because you wasted time. This means using time on something unproductive or unnecessary.
Examples:
- Don’t waste time arguing about little things.
- I wasted so much time waiting in traffic this morning.
- He regrets wasting time instead of preparing for the exam.
7. Take your time
Sometimes people feel rushed, but you want to reassure them. Imagine your student is nervous during a presentation — you can say, “Take your time.” It means there’s no need to hurry; go at your own pace.
Examples:
- No rush — just take your time and answer when you’re ready.
- You don’t need to finish today. Take your time with the project.
- She told him to take his time and drive carefully.
8. Run out of time
Have you ever had so much homework that you couldn’t finish before bedtime? You wanted to, but you just ran out of time. This phrase means there isn’t enough time left to do something.
Examples:
- I wanted to finish the test, but I ran out of time.
- We ran out of time before we could visit the museum.
- The team ran out of time to prepare a proper presentation.
9. Spend time
Think about your favorite activities. Maybe you enjoy reading, cooking, or being with friends. When you do these things, you spend time on them. It simply means using your time for a certain activity, often in a positive way.
Examples:
- I love spending time with my grandparents on weekends.
- She spends a lot of time studying for her exams.
- We spent the whole afternoon playing football.
10. Pass the time
This is close to killing time, but a little softer. Imagine a long journey — you don’t want to get bored, so you listen to music or chat with a friend. That’s how you pass the time.
Examples:
- They told stories to pass the time on the bus ride.
- I usually knit to pass the time in the evenings.
- Listening to podcasts helps me pass the time during chores.
11. Take time off
Everyone needs a break sometimes! When you stop working or studying for rest, travel, or health, you take time off.
Examples:
- He’s going to take time off next week for a holiday.
- Teachers usually take time off in the summer.
- She took some time off work to recover from her illness.
12. Beat the clock
Imagine you’re racing to finish homework before midnight — and you succeed! That’s beating the clock. It means finishing something before a deadline or before time runs out.
Examples:
- We managed to beat the clock and hand in the project early.
- The athletes trained hard to beat the clock in the final race.
- They finished decorating just in time to beat the clock before the party started.
13. Have a whale of a time:
“Have a whale of a time” is an informal expression that means to have a really fun, exciting, and enjoyable time. Think of it as saying “I had a blast!” or “I had so much fun!”
✅ In Context:
-
After a holiday:
“We went to Antalya last summer and had a whale of a time at the beach.” -
At a party:
“Thanks for inviting me—I had a whale of a time last night!” -
With friends:
“The kids had a whale of a time playing in the park.”
📌 The phrase is playful. The image is that a whale is huge, so it means a huge amount of fun.