Time is something we all think about, but it can feel tricky to describe. People often use special expressions called idioms to talk about time and how it moves. These phrases don’t mean exactly what they say, but they help us share ideas in fun and creative ways. Learning idioms about time can make speaking and writing more interesting.
In this article, we’ll explore some common idioms about time passing. We’ll explain what they mean and how to use them. At the end, you can try a simple exercise to practice. By the time you finish, you’ll have a better idea of how to use these phrases in everyday conversations.
Idioms About Time Passing
1. Time flies
Meaning: Time seems to pass quickly.
In a Sentence: Time flies when you’re having fun at the park. / It felt like summer vacation started yesterday, but now it’s over.
Other Ways to Say: “Where did the time go?”, “It feels like no time has passed.”
2. A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: Fixing a small problem now prevents bigger problems later.
In a Sentence: Fix the hole in your sweater before it gets worse. A stitch in time saves nine. / If we clean up now, we won’t have a big mess later.
Other Ways to Say: “Better safe than sorry.”, “Fix it before it grows.”
3. Beat the clock
Meaning: Finish something before the deadline.
In a Sentence: We need to beat the clock and finish the project before Friday. / She ran fast to beat the clock and win the race.
Other Ways to Say: “Get it done in time.”, “Finish before time runs out.”
4. In the nick of time
Meaning: Just before it’s too late.
In a Sentence: We got to the movie in the nick of time. It started right after we sat down. / The firefighters arrived in the nick of time to save the house.
Other Ways to Say: “Just in time.”, “Right before it was too late.”
5. Make time
Meaning: Find time in a busy schedule for something.
In a Sentence: Even with homework, I’ll make time to call Grandma. / We need to make time for family dinner this week.
Other Ways to Say: “Set aside time.”, “Find time for it.”
6. Time is money
Meaning: Time is valuable, so don’t waste it.
In a Sentence: Let’s hurry up—time is money. / The faster we finish, the more we save because time is money.
Other Ways to Say: “Don’t waste time.”, “Time is precious.”
7. Killing time
Meaning: Doing something to pass the time while waiting.
In a Sentence: We played games in the waiting room to kill time. / I read a book to kill time before the bus arrived.
Other Ways to Say: “Passing the time.”, “Finding something to do.”
8. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely.
In a Sentence: We visit that restaurant once in a blue moon. / She gets ice cream once in a blue moon as a treat.
Other Ways to Say: “Rarely.” , “Hardly ever.”
9. Around the clock
Meaning: All day and all night.
In a Sentence: The store is open around the clock for holiday shopping. / Doctors worked around the clock to help the patients.
Other Ways to Say: “All day and night.”, “Non-stop.”
10. Time heals all wounds
Meaning: With time, emotional pain gets better.
In a Sentence: She felt sad after losing her pet, but time heals all wounds. / He’s upset now, but time will heal his broken heart.
Other Ways to Say: “Give it time.”, “It’ll feel better with time.”
11. The eleventh hour
Meaning: The last possible moment.
In a Sentence: He finished the homework at the eleventh hour. / We arrived at the airport at the eleventh hour and almost missed the flight.
Other Ways to Say: “At the last minute.”, “Barely on time.”
12. Better late than never
Meaning: Doing something late is better than not doing it at all.
In a Sentence: She finally apologized—it’s better late than never. / I turned in my homework late, but better late than never.
Other Ways to Say: “At least it got done.”, “It’s never too late.”
13. Borrowed time
Meaning: Extra time before something ends.
In a Sentence: After the accident, he felt like he was living on borrowed time. / We’re on borrowed time; this game is almost over.
Other Ways to Say: “Extra time.”, “A little more time.”
14. Call it a day
Meaning: Stop working for the day.
In a Sentence: Let’s call it a day and finish the project tomorrow. / We were tired, so we called it a day after practice.
Other Ways to Say: “End for now.”, “Wrap it up.”
15. Have the time of your life
Meaning: Have a very fun and memorable experience.
In a Sentence: She had the time of her life at the amusement park. / I had the time of my life watching the fireworks.
Other Ways to Say: “Enjoy it a lot.”, “Have so much fun.”
16. In the long run
Meaning: Over a long time.
In a Sentence: Eating healthy may not be fun now, but it helps in the long run. / Studying hard will pay off in the long run.
Other Ways to Say: “Eventually.”, “Over time.”
17. Live on borrowed time
Meaning: Surviving longer than expected.
In a Sentence: After his heart surgery, he felt like he was living on borrowed time. / The old car is running, but it’s on borrowed time.
Other Ways to Say: “Extra time.”, “Hanging on.”
18. Race against time
Meaning: Working quickly before a deadline.
In a Sentence: It was a race against time to finish the science project. / The doctors raced against time to save the patient.
Other Ways to Say: “Rushing to finish.”, “Working against the clock.”
19. Time will tell
Meaning: The truth or outcome will be clear in the future.
In a Sentence: Time will tell if the new team wins the championship. / We don’t know if the plant will grow; only time will tell.
Other Ways to Say: “Wait and see.”, “The future will show.”
20. Save time
Meaning: Use time more efficiently.
In a Sentence: Doing chores together will save time. / Taking the highway saved us time getting home.
Other Ways to Say: “Use time wisely.”, “Spend less time.”
21. Take your time
Meaning: Do something slowly and carefully.
In a Sentence: You don’t need to rush—take your time with the math test. / She took her time choosing the best pumpkin at the patch.
Other Ways to Say: “No need to hurry.”, “Go at your own pace.”
22. All in good time
Meaning: Something will happen when the time is right.
In a Sentence: You’ll learn to ride a bike, all in good time. / She promised we’d go to the park, but all in good time.
Other Ways to Say: “When the time is right.”, “Be patient.”
23. Lose track of time
Meaning: Forget how much time has passed.
In a Sentence: I lost track of time while playing video games and missed dinner. / She lost track of time talking to her friends on the phone.
Other Ways to Say: “Forget the clock.”, “Not notice time passing.”
24. Out of time
Meaning: No time left to finish something.
In a Sentence: We ran out of time before we could finish the puzzle. / The team was out of time and couldn’t score the winning point.
Other Ways to Say: “Time is up.”, “No time remaining.”
25. The test of time
Meaning: Something that remains good or useful for a long time.
In a Sentence: Classic books stand the test of time because people have loved them for generations. / The old clock has passed the test of time and still works.
Other Ways to Say: “Lasts a long time.”, “Proves its value over time.”
26. The third time’s the charm
Meaning: You’ll succeed after trying three times.
In a Sentence: I failed twice, but I’m sure the third time will be the charm. / He struck out twice, but the third time was the charm—he hit a home run!
Other Ways to Say: “Try again, and it’ll work.”, “It’ll happen this time.”
27. At the drop of a hat
Meaning: Do something immediately, without hesitation.
In a Sentence: She’d help you at the drop of a hat if you needed it. / He left at the drop of a hat when the fire alarm rang.
Other Ways to Say: “Right away.”, “In an instant.”
28. It’s high time
Meaning: Something should have happened already.
In a Sentence: It’s high time we cleaned out the garage. / It’s high time we left for the airport, or we’ll miss the flight.
Other Ways to Say: “About time.”, “It should’ve been done already.”
Exercise to practice
- During summer break, time ________ while we played at the pool every day.
- Mom told me to fix my backpack zipper because “a stitch in ________ saves nine.”
- We arrived at the bus stop in the ________ of time and caught the bus just before it left.
- Sarah decided to ________ time in her busy schedule to bake cookies for the school fair.
- My dad often says, “Don’t waste your day; time is ________.”
- To kill ________ while waiting at the dentist’s office, I read a comic book.
- We only visit Grandma’s old farm once in a blue ________.
- The firefighters raced against ________ to save the burning house.
- My brother lost track of ________ while playing video games and forgot to do his homework.
- It’s high ________ we start cleaning the garage before winter begins.
Answers
- flies
- time
- nick
- make
- money
- time
- moon
- time
- time
- time
Conclusion
Idioms about time help us describe how we feel and think about time in creative ways. By learning them, you can make your conversations and writing more interesting.
Practicing these idioms will help you understand how they fit into real life. The more you use them, the easier it will be to share ideas about time with others.