To spend time pleasantly or idly when one has nothing else to do.
To spend free time doing something relaxing or fun, usually when you are waiting or have nothing important to do.
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
To spend a period of time in a relaxed, pleasant, or idle way.
"We whiled away the afternoon playing cards and listening to the rain."
We whiled away the hours talking about this and that.
— P.G. Wodehouse, commonly attributed style; widely paraphrased in Wodehouse's works
Always takes a time expression as its object: 'while away the hours/afternoon/time.' Carries a pleasant, unhurried connotation. Often used in a nostalgic or literary tone. Note: sometimes misspelled as 'wile away,' which is considered an error by most authorities.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "while away" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.