Sometimes, we do things that don’t really help us. Maybe we stare at the TV for hours or scroll through videos when we should be doing homework. That’s called wasting time. Instead of just saying “I wasted time,” people sometimes use special word pictures to explain it better. These are called metaphors.
Metaphors are fun and creative ways to say something. They don’t use words like “as” or “like.” They say one thing is another, to help us imagine what’s going on. In this article, we will learn about different metaphors people use when talking about wasting time. These expressions can make writing or talking more interesting. Let’s look at how they work and how you can use them too.
Metaphors for Wasting Time
1. Time slipped through my fingers
Meaning: Time passed without getting anything done.
Within a Sentence: I meant to finish my book, but time slipped through my fingers. / She felt time slip through her fingers while daydreaming.
In Other Words: Wasted time / Didn’t use time well
2. A black hole of time
Meaning: Something that takes all your time and gives nothing back.
Within a Sentence: Scrolling videos was a black hole of time. / That app is a black hole of time.
In Other Words: Time gone forever / Nothing useful came from it
3. Time went down the drain
Meaning: Time was lost or wasted.
Within a Sentence: All that waiting in line felt like time down the drain. / My weekend went down the drain doing nothing.
In Other Words: Time was wasted / Nothing came out of it
4. A time-eating monster
Meaning: Something that uses up a lot of time quickly.
Within a Sentence: That video game is a time-eating monster. / My chores turned into a time-eating monster today.
In Other Words: Took all my time / Too much time spent
5. Time flew out the window
Meaning: Time passed too fast without getting anything done.
Within a Sentence: I didn’t even start my project, time flew out the window. / Our free day just flew out the window.
In Other Words: Time disappeared / Nothing was done
6. A leaking bucket of time
Meaning: Time is being slowly wasted.
Within a Sentence: Watching that show felt like pouring time into a leaking bucket. / My afternoon was a leaking bucket of time.
In Other Words: Time slowly lost / Bit by bit gone
7. Time was eaten by shadows
Meaning: Time was lost without noticing.
Within a Sentence: Time was eaten by shadows while I stared at the ceiling. / Shadows ate my time while I waited.
In Other Words: Didn’t realize how time passed / Nothing done
8. A melting ice cube of hours
Meaning: Time fading away fast.
Within a Sentence: My weekend melted away like an ice cube. / That hour melted like ice.
In Other Words: Time passed fast / Couldn’t save it
9. A vacuum of time
Meaning: Something that pulls all time away.
Within a Sentence: That app is a vacuum of time. / Daydreaming is a vacuum that steals hours.
In Other Words: Took all the time / Nothing left
10. Time burned to ashes
Meaning: Time gone with no result.
Within a Sentence: That meeting burned my time to ashes. / Homework delays turned my time into ashes.
In Other Words: Time lost completely / Useless use
11. Time turned to dust
Meaning: Time faded into nothing.
Within a Sentence: My morning turned to dust watching cartoons. / Hours turned to dust while I waited.
In Other Words: Time disappeared / Gone forever
12. Tossing time into the wind
Meaning: Giving away time without a plan.
Within a Sentence: He tossed time into the wind, playing phone games. / I tossed time away just sitting there.
In Other Words: Used time carelessly / Didn’t help
13. Time buried in a hole
Meaning: Time used with no way to get it back.
Within a Sentence: All that waiting felt like time buried in a hole. / I buried my Saturday watching shows.
In Other Words: Wasted time / Gone deep
14. A runaway train of time
Meaning: Time going too fast to catch.
Within a Sentence: The day was a runaway train; I couldn’t catch up. / My break became a runaway train.
In Other Words: Time rushed by / Can’t control
15. Time poured like water
Meaning: Time flowing too quickly.
Within a Sentence: Time poured like water while I watched the clock. / Hours poured away.
In Other Words: Fast time loss / Can’t hold
16. A fire that eats minutes
Meaning: Something that quickly uses up time.
Within a Sentence: The puzzle was a fire that ate my minutes. / That chat turned into a fire-eating hours.
In Other Words: Took time fast / Minutes gone
17. A fog of wasted hours
Meaning: Not knowing where time went.
Within a Sentence: My day was a fog of wasted hours. / The morning vanished in a fog.
In Other Words: Blurry memory / Time gone
18. Time swallowed by silence
Meaning: Doing nothing and losing time.
Within a Sentence: Time was swallowed by silence while I waited. / That test delay swallowed an hour.
In Other Words: Quiet waste / Time eaten
19. A sinking boat of minutes
Meaning: Losing time steadily.
Within a Sentence: That delay felt like a sinking boat of minutes. / My plan was a boat slowly sinking.
In Other Words: Bit by bit / Time slipping
20. A shadow creeping over hours
Meaning: Slowly wasting time.
Within a Sentence: A shadow crept over my afternoon as I sat doing nothing. / My plans faded under creeping time.
In Other Words: Slowly lost / Time darkened
21. Tossing hours into a pit
Meaning: Giving away time to useless things.
Within a Sentence: I tossed hours into a pit of bad ideas. / The game was a pit that ate my free time.
In Other Words: No gain / Time lost
22. Time fell like autumn leaves
Meaning: Time falling away little by little.
Within a Sentence: Time fell like leaves during my long wait. / Watching the clouds, minutes fell like autumn leaves.
In Other Words: Slowly lost / One by one gone
23. A cracked hourglass
Meaning: Time leaking out.
Within a Sentence: That task felt like a cracked hourglass. / My morning slipped through a cracked glass.
In Other Words: Time escaping / Can’t hold it
24. A river of wasted time
Meaning: A long stream of unhelpful time.
Within a Sentence: My Sunday was a river of wasted time. / Waiting in line became a wasted river.
In Other Words: Long and lost / Flowed away
25. An empty jar of time
Meaning: Having no useful time left.
Within a Sentence: After resting too long, I had an empty jar of time. / My day ended with an empty jar.
In Other Words: Time used up / No more left
26. Time tossed like trash
Meaning: Wasting time on something that doesn’t matter.
Within a Sentence: I tossed time like trash playing that boring game. / My weekend was thrown away like garbage.
In Other Words: Didn’t care about the time / Thrown away
27. Time buried under boredom
Meaning: Lost time while feeling bored.
Within a Sentence: My long wait buried time under boredom. / That slow movie buried my evening.
In Other Words: Time gone / Lost in dullness
28. A dead battery of minutes
Meaning: No more energy or useful time.
Within a Sentence: After doing nothing, my day was a dead battery. / My focus ran out like a dead battery.
In Other Words: Worn out / Time used up
29. A popped balloon of hours
Meaning: Time that ended fast with no fun.
Within a Sentence: My break popped like a balloon. / The fun plans became a popped balloon.
In Other Words: Fun ended quickly / Time gone fast
30. An empty swing of time
Meaning: Time passed with no activity.
Within a Sentence: The afternoon felt like an empty swing. / I sat, swinging through an empty day.
In Other Words: Still and wasted / No movement
31. A jammed clock
Meaning: Time stuck and useless.
Within a Sentence: That test delay felt like a jammed clock. / My thinking was frozen like a jammed clock.
In Other Words: No progress / Time not moving
32. A train going nowhere
Meaning: Time passing without direction.
Within a Sentence: That plan was a train going nowhere. / My thoughts went in circles like a train.
In Other Words: No goal / Wasted ride
33. A spinning wheel of hours
Meaning: Doing things but going nowhere.
Within a Sentence: Homework with no answers felt like a spinning wheel. / I worked all day on nothing it spun like a wheel.
In Other Words: Busy but stuck / Time lost
34. A desert of minutes
Meaning: Time with nothing fun or helpful.
Within a Sentence: That talk was a desert of minutes. / My afternoon felt dry like a desert.
In Other Words: Nothing good / Dry and empty
35. A puddle of lost time
Meaning: Small amounts of time wasted.
Within a Sentence: The wait left a puddle of lost time. / I spilled a puddle of minutes on TV.
In Other Words: Time wasted in bits / Slipped away
36. Time rusted away
Meaning: Time used with no care.
Within a Sentence: My day rusted away in bed. / Time rusted while I ignored my chores.
In Other Words: Left unused / Slowly wasted
37. Time wandered into the woods
Meaning: Time disappeared and got lost.
Within a Sentence: I watched the sky, and time wandered into the woods. / She let her time wander into nothing.
In Other Words: Lost in thought / Not focused
38. A maze with no exit
Meaning: Time used going in circles.
Within a Sentence: That group project was a maze with no exit. / My ideas spun in a maze.
In Other Words: Confusing / Going nowhere
39. A balloon drifting away
Meaning: Time leaving and not coming back.
Within a Sentence: My Saturday drifted like a balloon. / I watched my free time float off.
In Other Words: Out of reach / Lost
40. Time stuck in slow motion
Meaning: Time passing very slowly.
Within a Sentence: The meeting felt like time in slow motion. / That wait crawled like slow motion.
In Other Words: Too slow / Felt long
41. Time melted like butter
Meaning: Time passing too quickly and softly.
Within a Sentence: Time melted like butter while I daydreamed. / The movie made time melt away.
In Other Words: Time slid by / Quietly gone
42. A broken clock of a day
Meaning: A day where nothing worked out.
Within a Sentence: That Saturday was a broken clock. / My plan was like a broken clock off all day.
In Other Words: Things didn’t happen right / Messed-up time
43. A flyaway kite of time
Meaning: Time you couldn’t control.
Within a Sentence: My plans flew off like a kite. / Time became a flyaway kite in the wind.
In Other Words: Out of reach / Lost quickly
44. A forgotten lunch of hours
Meaning: Time ignored or not noticed.
Within a Sentence: The whole day was like a forgotten lunch. / My ideas sat like a lunch no one touched.
In Other Words: Skipped or left / Not used
45. Time faded like old paint
Meaning: Time slowly disappearing.
Within a Sentence: That weekend faded like paint on a fence. / My memories of it faded too.
In Other Words: Slowly gone / Not strong
46. A jammed remote of time
Meaning: Feeling stuck with no control over your time.
Within a Sentence: I couldn’t change anything it was like a jammed remote. / That class was a jammed remote.
In Other Words: No control / Time stuck
47. A broken pencil of hours
Meaning: Time spent on something that didn’t work.
Within a Sentence: That test felt like a broken pencil, useless time. / My effort was wasted like a broken pencil.
In Other Words: Didn’t help / No use
48. An empty stage of minutes
Meaning: Time when nothing happened.
Within a Sentence: My morning was an empty stage. / Nothing showed up on my afternoon’s stage.
In Other Words: No action / Boring
49. A sandcastle in the wind
Meaning: Time spent on something that disappears quickly.
Within a Sentence: That craft was a sandcastle in the wind. / All my effort blew away.
In Other Words: Gone fast / No result
50. Time fell into a trap
Meaning: Time used in the wrong way.
Within a Sentence: I fell into a time trap with those silly games. / The chores tricked me into a time trap.
In Other Words: Bad time use / Wasted on nothing
51. A movie with no ending
Meaning: Time spent on something with no finish.
Within a Sentence: My plan was a movie with no ending. / I waited and waited with no finish.
In Other Words: Never completed / Felt long
52. A race with no winner
Meaning: Time used for no success.
Within a Sentence: My day was a race with no winner. / We worked but gained nothing.
In Other Words: No result / All effort, no gain
53. A spilled cup of time
Meaning: Time wasted quickly by accident.
Within a Sentence: I spilled my time on YouTube again. / My time tipped over and ran out.
In Other Words: Accidentally wasted / Fast loss
54. A silent thief of hours
Meaning: Time was stolen without notice.
Within a Sentence: The phone was a silent thief of hours. / My nap became a thief of the day.
In Other Words: Time gone secretly / Didn’t notice it
55. A paper boat of plans
Meaning: Plans that fell apart quickly.
Within a Sentence: My Saturday plan was a paper boat; it sank fast. / That goal floated away like paper.
In Other Words: Weak plan / Didn’t last
56. A jammed printer of time
Meaning: Trying something but getting stuck.
Within a Sentence: My brain felt like a jammed printer. / My plan didn’t print right, it jammed.
In Other Words: Stuck / Didn’t go well
57. A mirror with no reflection
Meaning: Doing something but seeing no results.
Within a Sentence: My efforts felt like a mirror with no reflection. / I waited and got nothing back.
In Other Words: Nothing to show / No results
58. A falling puzzle
Meaning: Everything is breaking down with no success.
Within a Sentence: The day fell apart like a puzzle. / My plans became a falling puzzle.
In Other Words: Everything broke / Time lost
59. A backpack full of nothing
Meaning: Time filled with empty things.
Within a Sentence: My day was a backpack full of nothing. / I packed time with junk.
In Other Words: Used but useless / Seemed full, wasn’t
60. Time trapped in a snow globe
Meaning: Stuck time that can’t go anywhere.
Within a Sentence: My sick day felt like time in a snow globe. / Everything stayed the same.
In Other Words: Trapped / Still and wasted
Metaphors for Wasting Time – True/False Quiz
Read each statement. Decide if it correctly shows a metaphor for wasting time.
- Saying “time slipped through my fingers” means you used your time wisely.
True / False - “A black hole of time” is something that gives you extra hours to use.
True / False - If “time flew out the window,” it means it passed, and nothing useful was done.
True / False - Calling something a “time-eating monster” means it helped you save time.
True / False - “A cracked hourglass” means time is being saved safely.
True / False - If your plan was “a paper boat,” it probably worked out really well.
True / False - “Time burned to ashes” means time was completely wasted.
True / False - A “jammed clock” means things are going smoothly and on time.
True / False - If your time “melted like butter,” it passed by quickly and softly.
True / False - “A puddle of lost time” means time was used in small, unhelpful ways.
True / False - Saying something is “a broken pencil of hours” means it was a very helpful way to spend time.
True / False - “A balloon drifting away” shows how time is left and can’t be brought back.
True / False - “A mirror with no reflection” means your time and efforts showed good results.
True / False - “A movie with no ending” means time was spent on something that didn’t get finished.
True / False - “Time trapped in a snow globe” means everything stayed the same with no progress.
True / False
Answers
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
Scoring Guide
- 15 Correct Answers: Metaphors Master!
- 10–14 Correct Answers: You really get Metaphors, nice work!
- 6–9 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–5 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about Metaphors together!
Conclusion
Wasting time happens to everyone. Sometimes we don’t even notice it. Using metaphors helps us talk about it in fun and smart ways. Instead of just saying “I wasted time,” we can paint a picture with words.
These expressions help us understand feelings and explain things better. Try using some in your own stories or when talking with friends. The more you practice, the more your words will stand out.
