pastime

noun

Definition of pastimenext
as in hobby
an activity that you enjoy doing during your free time Her favorite pastime is gardening. Baseball has been a national pastime for years.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pastime Today’s Theme This crossword is a tribute to Scrabble, another beloved pastime of word nerds. — New York Times, 24 Sep. 2026 The pastime has been linked to reducing stress, improving relaxation, and providing a better understanding of others. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 24 Sep. 2026 But our party cannot afford to keep being led by a man who sees politics as a pastime to build his own personal power. — Caitlin Ogden, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026 His favorite pastimes were riding his bike and watching football, relatives told media outlets. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pastime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastime
  1. hobby
  2. sport
Noun
  • The collectibles industry, once a niche hobby, has boomed since the pandemic with the help of marketing that emphasizes huge potential monetary wins.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The late rapper helped turn his hobby into a full-fledged music career, leading him to later sign with Interscope Records.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of hobby
Noun
  • The cosmonauts plonked down on November 19th, 1965 in the Midlands market town of Rugby, a cultural backwater best known for the sport, the school, and wartime poet Rupert Brooke, in that order.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Some markets are allowing individuals to express views on economic, political or business outcomes, while others hone in on sports, entertainment and pop culture events.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of sport

Browse Nearby Words

pastiches
pastime
pastimes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pastime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastime. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All