What does "while away" mean?

To pass time in a leisurely way To spend time pleasantly without purpose.

How do you use "while away" in a sentence?

We whiled away the afternoon. She whiles away hours reading. They whiled away time chatting.

Phrasal Verb BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★☆☆ Moderate Neutral

Meaning: To pass time in a leisurely way

悠闲地消磨时间

Pasar el tiempo tranquilamente

のんびりと時間を過ごす

한가롭게 시간을 보내다

To spend time pleasantly without purpose.

无目的地愉快地度过时间。

Emplear el tiempo de forma agradable sin propósito.

目的なく楽しく時間を費やすこと。

특별한 목적 없이 여유롭게 시간을 보내는 것을 말한다.

Base verb: while

Particle: away

Separable: Yes — the object can go between the verb and particle

We whiled away the afternoon.
我们悠闲地度过了一个下午
Pasamos la tarde tranquilamente
午後をのんびり過ごした
오후를 한가롭게 보냈다.
She whiles away hours reading.
她看书消磨了好几个小时
Pasa horas leyendo
彼女は何時間も読書してのんびり過ごす
그녀는 몇 시간이고 독서를 하며 느긋하게 보낸다.
They whiled away time chatting.
他们聊天打发时间
Pasaron el rato charlando
彼らはおしゃべりして時間を過ごした
그들은 수다를 떨며 시간을 보냈다.

Context: leisure, relaxation, time

Tone: pleasant

From spending time agreeably.

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal