Time is something we all experience — it moves fast when we’re happy and slow when we’re waiting. English has many idioms that help us talk about time in a more natural and expressive way. Idioms are special phrases whose meanings are not always literal. They make your language sound fluent, meaningful, and creative.
In this blog post, you’ll learn 50 common idioms about time, and later you will also practice them with 20 fill-in-the-blank sentencess.
🕒 50 idioms for Time
- Time flies
Meaning: Time goes quickly.
Example: The year went so fast — time flies.
- In the nick of time
Meaning: Just before it’s too late.
Example: We caught the train in the nick of time.
- Kill time
Meaning: Do something while waiting.
Example: I watched YouTube videos to kill time.
- Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens rarely.
Example: We take a family trip once in a blue moon.
- Beat the clock
Meaning: Finish before time runs out.
Example: They worked hard to beat the clock.
- Around the clock
Meaning: All day and all night.
Example: Doctors worked around the clock.
- Call it a day
Meaning: Stop working for the day.
Example: We’re tired — let’s call it a day.
- Ahead of time
Meaning: Earlier than expected.
Example: I completed my work ahead of time.
- Running out of time
Meaning: Not enough time left.
Example: Finish the task — you’re running out of time.
- Better late than never
Meaning: Late is still better than not doing it.
Example: He finally apologized — better late than never.
- Time is money
Meaning: Time is valuable.
Example: Business people know time is money.
- The eleventh hour
Meaning: At the last possible moment.
Example: She submitted her project at the eleventh hour.
- Make up for lost time
Meaning: Try to catch up.
Example: After missing practice, he trained harder to make up for lost time.
- No time to lose
Meaning: Need to act quickly.
Example: We need to leave — no time to lose.
- Live on borrowed time
Meaning: Continue longer than expected.
Example: The old bike is living on borrowed time.
- All in good time
Meaning: Everything will happen at the right moment.
Example: Be patient — all in good time.
- Just in time
Meaning: Exactly at the right moment.
Example: We arrived just in time for the movie.
- At the crack of dawn
Meaning: Very early in the morning.
Example: He wakes up at the crack of dawn.
- Behind the times
Meaning: Old-fashioned or outdated.
Example: Some people are behind the times.
- Time after time
Meaning: Repeatedly.
Example: She helps her friends time after time.
- Take your time
Meaning: No need to rush.
Example: Relax and take your time.
- Time flies when you’re having fun
Meaning: Fun makes time feel shorter.
Example: Our vacation ended fast — time flies when you’re having fun.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day
Meaning: Big things take time.
Example: Learning English takes patience — Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- A matter of time
Meaning: Something will happen sooner or later.
Example: Success is just a matter of time.
- In due course
Meaning: Eventually.
Example: You’ll understand everything in due course.
- Lose track of time
Meaning: Forget how much time has passed.
Example: I was gaming and lost track of time.
- The time of your life
Meaning: A great and memorable time.
Example: She had the time of her life on holiday.
- At the last minute
Meaning: Very late.
Example: He packed his bags at the last minute.
- On the dot
Meaning: Exactly on time.
Example: The meeting starts at 10 on the dot.
- Long time no see
Meaning: Said when meeting someone after a long time.
Example: Hey! Long time no see!
- Waste time
Meaning: Not use time wisely.
Example: Scrolling social media can waste time.
- Save time
Meaning: Use time efficiently.
Example: Using shortcuts saves time.
- Out of the blue
Meaning: Unexpected and sudden.
Example: He called me out of the blue.
- A race against time
Meaning: Need to do something quickly.
Example: We were in a race against time to finish.
- Bide your time
Meaning: Wait for the right moment.
Example: She stayed silent and bided her time.
- Day in and day out
Meaning: Repeated everyday.
Example: He practices guitar day in and day out.
- Turn back time
Meaning: Go back to the past.
Example: Sometimes I wish I could turn back time.
- A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: Fix small problems early.
Example: Repairing now will help — a stitch in time saves nine.
- At the right time
Meaning: When it should happen.
Example: Everything happened at the right time.
- Lost in time
Meaning: Forgetting what time it is.
Example: We talked for hours and felt lost in time.
- Any day now
Meaning: Very soon.
Example: The results will come any day now.
- Only time will tell
Meaning: The future will show the truth.
Example: Will it work? Only time will tell.
- In the long run
Meaning: After a long time.
Example: Healthy habits help in the long run.
- At the moment
Meaning: Right now.
Example: I’m busy at the moment.
- Borrowed time
Meaning: Extra time before something ends.
Example: His laptop is living on borrowed time.
- Time heals all wounds
Meaning: Pain fades with time.
Example: After a breakup, time heals all wounds.
- From time to time
Meaning: Occasionally.
Example: I visit my village from time to time.
- Crunch time
Meaning: A very busy and critical time.
Example: It’s exam week — crunch time!
- On time
Meaning: Not early, not late.
Example: The bus arrived on time.
- Behind schedule
Meaning: Not doing something fast enough.
Example: The team was running behind schedule.
✏️ Fill in the Blanks about idioms for Time
- We finished the assignment __ the deadline.
- He visits his hometown __ — maybe once a year.
- You don’t need to hurry. __.
- She reached the station __ of time.
- Our meeting starts at 5 __.
- The vacation felt short because __.
- After missing practice, he worked to __ lost time.
- He submitted his work at __ hour.
- The baby will start walking soon — it’s just __.
- I was busy and __ track of time.
- We were packing bags but now we’re __ time.
- Sometimes I wish I could __ and fix mistakes.
- The doctor worked __ during the emergency.
- If you wait, things will happen __.
- I reached the cinema __ time for the movie.
- She cleans her room _ and _.
- The old phone is working but it’s on __ time.
- The show starts soon — there’s __ to lose.
- The exam is next week — it’s __ time.
- She finally replied — __ late than never.
(Students can solve these and then match with idioms above.)
🏁 Conclusion
Idioms make English sound alive, expressive, and meaningful. When you use time-related idioms, you can describe moments, memories, schedules, deadlines, and emotions in a more natural way. You don’t need to memorize all of them at once — just pick a few and start using them in writing or conversations. With practice, these idioms will slowly become part of your natural language.
