Idioms are phrases or expressions whose meaning is not obvious from the individual words and must be learned as a whole. People use them to make their everyday language more colorful, expressive, and fun. In this article, you will learn fifty idioms related to time, waiting, and schedules.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean fast, slow, and timing. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Time
1. Fly by
Definition: To pass extremely quickly, especially when you are having fun or busy.
Used in a Sentence: During recess, the twenty minutes seemed to fly by in a flash. / When you are having fun playing games with friends, hours can fly by.
Similar Expressions: Pass fast / Move quickly
2. Time heals all wounds
Definition: Emotional pain or sadness becomes easier to handle as more days and months pass.
Used in a Sentence: Losing the art contest felt heartbreaking, but he remembered that time heals all wounds. / She knew time heals all wounds after her favorite pet passed away.
Similar Expressions: Time helps / Pain fades later
3. Beat the clock
Definition: To finish a task successfully before a strict deadline runs out.
Used in a Sentence: We had to write our last sentence fast to beat the clock before the buzzer sounded. / He rushed his coloring project to beat the clock before cleanup time.
Similar Expressions: Finish in time / Beat the deadline
4. Once in a blue moon
Definition: An event that happens very rarely or almost never.
Used in a Sentence: Our class only gets to visit the indoor planetarium once in a blue moon. / He eats broccoli for dinner once in a blue moon because he prefers carrots.
Similar Expressions: Very rarely / Hardly ever
5. In the nick of time
Definition: Managing to do something at the very last possible second before it is too late.
Used in a Sentence: He ran through the school doors right in the nick of time before the late bell rang. / She handed her permission slip to the teacher in the nick of time.
Similar Expressions: Just in time / Barely early
6. Kill time
Definition: To do something casual and unimportant to pass the minutes while waiting.
Used in a Sentence: While waiting for the library doors to open, we played a card game to kill time. / He read a comic book to kill time before his piano lesson started.
Similar Expressions: Pass the minutes / Waste waiting
7. Time flies
Definition: An expression meaning hours pass by very rapidly without you noticing.
Used in a Sentence: When we started building the Lego castle, time flies and suddenly it was dinnertime. / Time flies when you are having fun at a birthday party.
Similar Expressions: Hours pass fast / Quick time
8. Save time
Definition: To perform an action in a faster way so you have more minutes left over.
Used in a Sentence: Packing your school backpack the night before helps save time in the morning rush. / Using a calculator can save time on long math homework problems.
Similar Expressions: Make time / Be efficient
9. Behind the times
Definition: Old-fashioned, outdated, or not keeping up with modern trends and technology.
Used in a Sentence: Grandfather joked that using an old rotary phone meant he was behind the times. / His choice of music players felt a bit behind the times.
Similar Expressions: Outdated / Old-fashioned
10. Ahead of your time
Definition: Having brilliant ideas or inventions long before the rest of society understands them.
Used in a Sentence: The student artist painted abstract shapes that felt ahead of their time. / Her clever recycling invention was considered ahead of its time.
Similar Expressions: Futuristic ideas / Too advanced early
11. Stand the test of time
Definition: To remain strong, useful, and relevant across many years without breaking down.
Used in a Sentence: That classic wooden chess set has stood the test of time through three generations. / The old stone bridge stood the test of time against heavy floods.
Similar Expressions: Remain durable / Last long
12. At the eleventh hour
Definition: Doing something at the very last possible moment before a deadline.
Used in a Sentence: He finished his science project poster at the eleventh hour on Sunday night. / She changed her essay topic at the eleventh hour.
Similar Expressions: Last minute / Final second
13. Turn back the hands of time
Definition: To wish you could reverse history and change a past mistake.
Used in a Sentence: If he could turn back the hands of time, he would have studied harder for the test. / She wished she could turn back the hands of time and undo her mistake.
Similar Expressions: Reverse history / Undo the past
14. A race against time
Definition: A tense situation where you must work at maximum speed to finish before a limit.
Used in a Sentence: Fixing the flat bicycle tire before dark became a real race against time. / The firefighters worked in a race against time to put out the blaze.
Similar Expressions: Rushing deadline / Fast sprint
15. Time is money
Definition: A phrase meaning time is valuable, so wasting it costs you opportunity.
Used in a Sentence: The coach told the team to hurry up and pack gear because time is money. / He worked efficiently on his chores because he believed time is money.
Similar Expressions: Value minutes / Do not waste time
16. In the long run
Definition: Over an extended period of time in the future, looking at the big picture.
Used in a Sentence: Studying vocabulary every day might feel hard now, but it will help you in the long run. / Saving your allowance pays off in the long run.
Similar Expressions: Eventually / Over time
17. Take your time
Definition: To work slowly and carefully without rushing or stressing yourself.
Used in a Sentence: There is no need to rush your art painting project; please take your time. / She told her younger brother to take his time tying his shoelaces.
Similar Expressions: Go slowly / Do not rush
18. Marking time
Definition: Doing routine, repetitive tasks while waiting for something more important to happen.
Used in a Sentence: The substitute teacher had the class just marking time with worksheet pages. / He felt like he was just marking time until summer vacation started.
Similar Expressions: Waiting around / Routine delay
19. Living on borrowed time
Definition: Surviving past an expected expiration date or continuing past a deadline.
Used in a Sentence: The old family car was making strange noises, as if it were living on borrowed time. / He stayed up late studying, feeling like he was living on borrowed time.
Similar Expressions: Extra time / Temporary survival
20. Call it a day
Definition: To stop working on a task or project because enough time has been spent.
Used in a Sentence: After raking leaves for three hours, they decided to call it a day. / The teacher told the study group it was time to pack up and call it a day.
Similar Expressions: Stop working / Finish for now
21. Time on your hands
Definition: Having plenty of free time and nothing specific scheduled to do.
Used in a Sentence: During rainy Saturday afternoons, he hated having too much time on his hands. / She decided to read a novel because she had extra time on her hands.
Similar Expressions: Free time / Unoccupied hours
22. A race against the clock
Definition: Working as fast as possible to complete a test or assignment before time expires.
Used in a Sentence: The final five minutes of the math test felt like a race against the clock. / Packing our bags before the bus arrived was a race against the clock.
Similar Expressions: Fast rush / Beating the buzzer
23. Time heals
Definition: Emotional pain or grief becoming softer as months and years pass.
Used in a Sentence: Losing his favorite toy made him sad, but his mother reminded him that time heals. / She knew time heals after her sadness over moving away faded.
Similar Expressions: Pain fades / Recovery with years
24. Marking the passing of time
Definition: Noticing how days, seasons, or years move forward steadily.
Used in a Sentence: Watching the tree leaves change color in autumn is a way of marking the passing of time. / Growth charts on the wall help parents see the passing of time.
Similar Expressions: Observing age / Noting seasons
25. Time stands still
Definition: A moment of high suspense or emotion where minutes feel completely frozen.
Used in a Sentence: Waiting for the judge to read the spelling bee winner made time stand still. / When the roller coaster reached the top of the drop, time stood still.
Similar Expressions: Paused time / Frozen moment
26. Run out of time
Definition: To exhaust all your available minutes before finishing a test or project.
Used in a Sentence: He worked slowly on the essay and ended up running out of time on the last page. / Make sure you check your watch so you don’t run out of time.
Similar Expressions: Out of minutes / Missed deadline
27. Time out of mind
Definition: A time period so ancient or far in the past that nobody remembers its exact start.
Used in a Sentence: That stone castle ruin has stood on the hill for time out of mind. / Our family has gathered at this lake for celebrations time out of mind.
Similar Expressions: Ancient history / Unremembered past
28. Borrowed time
Definition: Extra time granted after a deadline or expiration date has passed.
Used in a Sentence: The melting snowman in the yard was living on borrowed time in the spring sun. / He finished his test questions on borrowed time when the teacher granted extra seconds.
Similar Expressions: Extra minutes / Extended period
29. Time warp
Definition: A feeling that hours passed strangely fast or slow, like stepping into science fiction.
Used in a Sentence: Getting lost in the museum exhibit made it feel like we entered a time warp. / Playing video games all afternoon felt like experiencing a time warp.
Similar Expressions: Strange time slip / Fast hours
30. Ahead of time
Definition: Completing a task or arriving at a destination earlier than required.
Used in a Sentence: Because she packed her gear on Friday, she was completely ready ahead of time. / He arrived at the airport two hours ahead of time.
Similar Expressions: Early / Before schedule
31. Behind time
Definition: Arriving late or falling behind schedule on daily tasks.
Used in a Sentence: Missing his alarm clock left him feeling behind time all morning. / The school bus was behind time due to morning traffic.
Similar Expressions: Late / Behind schedule
32. Right on time
Definition: Arriving or happening at the exact, perfect scheduled moment.
Used in a Sentence: The pizza delivery truck pulled into our driveway right on time for lunch. / He showed up for the group study session right on time.
Similar Expressions: Punctual / Perfectly timed
33. Big-time
Definition: Operating on a massive scale of success, fame, or importance.
Used in a Sentence: The local band finally played a concert downtown and hit the big-time. / He wanted his video game design to go big-time.
#Similar Expressions: Major scale / Very famous
34. A stitch in time saves nine
Definition: Fixing a small problem immediately prevents it from becoming a huge disaster later.
Used in a Sentence: Repairing the small tear in your jacket now is a stitch in time saves nine. / Fixing the leaky hose early was a stitch in time saves nine.
Similar Expressions: Fix early / Prevent trouble
35. Time marches on
Definition: The steady, unstoppable forward movement of history and days.
Used in a Sentence: Even when we wish summer vacation would last longer, time marches on. / He realized how fast he was growing up as time marched on.
Similar Expressions: Time keeps moving / Unstoppable clock
36. Out of time
Definition: Having zero minutes left remaining on a clock or schedule.
Used in a Sentence: The referee blew the whistle because the team was officially out of time. / She had to put her pencil down because she was out of time.
Similar Expressions: Finished minutes / Time expired
37. Time and tide wait for no man
Definition: Natural forces and time keep moving forward and will not pause for anyone.
Used in a Sentence: Grandfather told us to hurry up and pack the boat because time and tide wait for no man. / You cannot delay studying for exams because time and tide wait for no man.
Similar Expressions: Unstoppable time / Do not delay
38. A matter of time
Definition: Something that is guaranteed to happen eventually as days pass.
Used in a Sentence: It was only a matter of time before the puppy figured out how to open the gate. / Winning a game after practicing so much is just a matter of time.
Similar Expressions: Inevitable / Eventual result
39. Hard pressed for time
Definition: Experiencing severe busyness and lacking enough minutes to finish tasks.
Used in a Sentence: Working on both the science project and the art poster left him hard pressed for time. / She was hard pressed for time before the guests arrived.
Similar Expressions: Busy schedule / Lacking minutes
40. Buy time
Definition: To delay an event or action in order to gain extra minutes for preparation.
Used in a Sentence: He asked the teacher an extra question to buy time while finishing his sentence. / Telling a joke can help buy time during a speech.
Similar Expressions: Delay action / Gain minutes
41. Serving time
Definition: Spending a set period in prison for breaking rules, or doing mandatory service.
Used in a Sentence: In old adventure stories, characters might find themselves serving time in a tower. / He joked that doing chores on Saturday was like serving time.
Similar Expressions: Serving a sentence / Doing time
42. Doing time
Definition: Slang for spending a boring period working on an unwanted task or punishment.
Used in a Sentence: Sitting through the three-hour lecture felt like doing time in a jail cell. / He felt like he was doing time while washing all the dishes.
Similar Expressions: Boring wait / Unwanted task
43. Give someone a hard time
Definition: To tease or annoy someone playfully or persistently over a mistake.
Used in a Sentence: The soccer teammates gave him a hard time after he missed the open goal. / Try not to give your brother a hard time when he drops his pencil.
Similar Expressions: Tease someone / Bother playfully
44. Have a good time
Definition: To enjoy yourself thoroughly at a party, hobby, or event.
Used in a Sentence: We hope you have a good time at the school carnival this weekend. / She went to the amusement park and had a good time riding roller coasters.
Similar Expressions: Enjoy yourself / Have fun
45. Big time
Definition: To a massive or extreme degree of intensity.
Used in a Sentence: He messed up his math homework big time by forgetting to carry the one. / She celebrated winning the spelling bee big time with ice cream.
#Similar Expressions: Extensively / Greatly
46. Make up for lost time
Definition: To work extra hard or play extra hard to compensate for past delays.
Used in a Sentence: After being sick in bed all week, he went outside to make up for lost time. / They stayed up late playing board games to make up for lost time.
Similar Expressions: Compensate for delays / Catch up
47. Time after time
Definition: Repeating an action consistently on multiple separate occasions.
Used in a Sentence: Time after time, she reminded her younger brother to zip up his jacket. / The trusty old bicycle worked perfectly time after time.
Similar Expressions: Repeatedly / Again and again
48. Ahead of your time
Definition: Having modern concepts before society is ready for them.
Used in a Sentence: His digital drawing style was way ahead of its time in middle school. / She felt like her ideas for recycling were ahead of their time.
Similar Expressions: Futuristic / Too advanced
49. Time-tested
Definition: Methods or items that have proven their value and quality over many years.
Used in a Sentence: Using flashcards to study spelling words is a time-tested learning strategy. / Baking bread with yeast is a time-tested kitchen tradition.
Similar Expressions: Proven reliable / Traditional method
50. High time
Definition: The exact, overdue moment when something urgent must finally happen.
Used in a Sentence: Mother said it was high time we cleaned our messy bedroom floors. / It is high time you started studying for the history test.
Similar Expressions: Overdue moment / About time
Exercise to Practice
- During recess, the twenty minutes seemed to fly by in a flash.
- Losing the art contest felt heartbreaking, but he remembered that time heals all wounds by eating a bowl of green soup.
- We had to write our last sentence fast to beat the clock before the buzzer sounded.
- Our class only gets to visit the indoor planetarium once in a blue moon.
- He ran through the school doors right in the nick of time before the late bell rang while wearing scuba flippers.
- While waiting for the library doors to open, we played a card game to kill time.
- Packing your school backpack the night before helps save time in the morning rush.
- Grandfather joked that using an old rotary phone meant he was behind the times.
- That classic wooden chess set has stood the test of time through three generations and turned into a rubber duck.
- He finished his science project poster at the eleventh hour on Sunday night.
- Fixing the flat bicycle tire before dark became a real race against time.
- Studying vocabulary every day might feel hard now, but it will help you in the long run.
- There is no need to rush your art painting project; please take your time.
- The substitute teacher had the class just marking time with worksheet pages while building a rocket ship to Mars.
- After raking leaves for three hours, they decided to call it a day.
Answer Key
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps us understand how people creatively describe time, waiting, and schedules. Exploring these helpful expressions makes talking about daily routines and hours much more expressive and relatable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for time?
Common idioms often describe time using phrases like fly by, once in a blue moon, nick of time, or time flies. Examples include watching hours fly by, visiting somewhere once in a blue moon, or arriving in the nick of time. These expressions highlight speed, rarity, and punctuality.
Why do people use idioms to describe time?
People use idioms because abstract concepts like hours passing can be made much more colorful with creative comparisons. Saying time flies gives readers an instant mental picture of rapid motion. This makes personal storytelling much more engaging.
How can I use these time idioms in creative writing?
You can use these idioms in stories or personal essays to show how fast a character’s day goes or how they rush to meet a deadline. For instance, describing a student racing a deadline as beating the clock builds strong tense imagery. It helps readers visualize the urgency.
Are time idioms used in everyday conversations?
Speakers frequently use phrases like fly by or take your time in daily life to describe fast schedules or patient advice. These colorful expressions make routine updates sound more expressive and relatable. They add flavor and clarity to casual talks.
Where can I find more idioms for schedules?
Our website features many lists of idioms, metaphors, and similes covering schedules, time, emotions, and school topics. You can browse our collection anytime to expand your vocabulary and improve your creative writing skills.
