Idioms/Time

Idioms based on time. Select an idiom for more details. Also try Time Idioms Quiz.

a question of time

You can say "it's only a question of time" before saying what you think will happen in the future.

a whale of a time

If you have a whale of a time, you have a great time and really enjoy yourself.

around the clock

If something occurs around the clock, it goes on all day and all night.

behind the times

If someone is behind the times, they are old-fashioned and their ideas are out of date.

day to day

If something happens day to day, it's part of your usual daily routine.

for the time being

If something will be the way it is "for the time being", it will be that way for a limited period of time only.

from now on

If you do something "from now on", you do it from now until some unknown time in the future.

from time to time

If you do something from time to time, you do it occasionally, but not very often.

in the long run

If you talk about something "in the long run", you mean over a long period of time.

it's high time

If you say it's high time something was done, you think it should have been done already, and is overdue.

just in time | just in the nick of time

If you do something just in time, or just in the nick of time, you do it just before time runs out.

kill time

You kill time when you do something to amuse yourself while waiting for something.

now and then | now and again

If you do something now and then, or now and again, you do it occasionally.

now or never

If you say it's now or never, you mean that something has to be done now or it can't be done at all.

once in a blue moon

If something happens once in a blue moon, it happens very rarely.

the moment of truth

The moment of truth is a time when the truth about something is revealed, or when an important decision is made.

time after time

If you do something time after time, you do it again and again, or repeatedly.

time and time again

If you've done something time and time again, you've done it many times, or you've done it repeatedly.

year dot | year one

You can say "the year dot", or "the year one", when you're talking about a very, very long time ago.

year in, year out

If something has happened year in, year out, it's happened every year for many years in a row.
Also try Time Idioms Quiz.

Contributor: Matt Errey