while away
B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To spend free time doing something relaxing or fun, usually when you are waiting or have nothing important to do.
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
neutral
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
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
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.
Commonly used with
hours afternoon evening days time summer
Forms
Base
while away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
whiles away
he/she/it
Past simple
whiled away
yesterday
Past participle
whiled away
have + pp
-ing form
whiling away
continuous
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