while away — pass time pleasantly
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutralrare
to spend time in a relaxed and enjoyable way, especially when you are waiting for something or have nothing urgent to do.
Say it like a native
Textbook We passed the time agreeably by playing cards while we waited.
Native We whiled away the afternoon playing cards.
'While away' is the idiomatic verb for pleasantly passing time; the paraphrase is wordy.
Pattern: while away (something) (doing something)
In use
- We whiled away the afternoon chatting in the garden.daily life
- If I have a long commute, I usually while away the time by listening to podcasts or music.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We wiled away the hours.
✓ We whiled away the hours.
It's 'while away' (with an h), not 'wile away'.
Common collocations
while away + time— the afternoon, the hours, a rainy day, the time
Don't confuse it
'While away' means to enjoyably pass time, especially when waiting, whereas 'waste time' suggests being unproductive or inefficient.