pastime

noun

pas·​time ˈpas-ˌtīm How to pronounce pastime (audio)
: something that amuses and serves to make time pass agreeably : diversion
Her favorite pastime is gardening.
Baseball has been a national pastime for many years.

Examples of pastime in a Sentence

Baseball has been a national pastime for years.
Recent Examples on the Web Taking care of personal business will free up time to enjoy the people and pastimes that put a smile on your face. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2024 Good morning, Baseball may be America’s favorite pastime, but its biggest audience is actually in Japan—at least for this year’s playoffs. Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 But there does seem to be some possibility of realignment, or some recognition, at least, that one the country’s biggest pastimes doesn’t belong to one side. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024 Some fans have expressed disapproval with the league-wide sticker placements, even though commercial intrusion on and around the diamond is nearly as old as America’s pastime itself. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pastime 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pastime.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pastime was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pastime

Cite this Entry

“Pastime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastime. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pastime

noun
pas·​time ˈpas-ˌtīm How to pronounce pastime (audio)
: something that helps to make time pass agreeably
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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