Time Idioms in English with their Meanings and Pictures

Time idioms are common and creative expressions that use the idea of time to describe different situations, feelings, or actions in everyday life. These idioms don’t always talk about the actual time on a clock but carry deeper meanings that make English sound more natural and expressive. Learning time idioms helps students understand conversations better and speak more fluently. In this article, you will learn some popular time idioms in English with their meanings and pictures. These useful expressions will make your vocabulary stronger and your speech more lively and confident.

Table of Contents

Explore Time Idioms in English with Meanings

Time Idiom	Meaning
Beat the clock	Finish something before the deadline
In the nick of time	Just before it’s too late
Time flies	Time passes very quickly
Around the clock	All day and night without stopping
Against the clock	Trying to do something quickly before time runs out
Ahead of time	Earlier than expected
Behind the times	Old-fashioned or not modern
All in good time	Something will happen when the time is right
A mile a minute	Talking or doing something very fast
Call it a day	Stop working for the day
At the eleventh hour	At the last possible moment
Make up for lost time	Do something quickly after wasting time earlier
Better late than never	It’s good to do something late rather than not at all
Bide your time	Wait patiently for the right opportunity
Big time	To a great degree; very much
Crack of dawn	Very early in the morning
Day in and day out	Continuously, every day
From time to time	Occasionally or sometimes
Have the time of your life	Enjoy yourself greatly
In no time	Very quickly or soon

Explore Time Idioms in English with Meanings

Master Time Idioms with Their Meaning

Time Idiom	Meaning
In the long run	Over a long period
Once in a blue moon	Very rarely
On borrowed time	Living or working longer than expected
Out of time	No time left
Right on time	Exactly at the correct time
Pressed for time	In a hurry or having little time
Kill time	Do something to pass the time
Living on borrowed time	Surviving longer than expected
Make time for	Create time for something important
A matter of time	Something that will definitely happen soon
All the time	Always; continuously
About time	Finally happening after a long wait
At the same time	Simultaneously
Against time	Rushing to finish something
Ahead of schedule	Finishing earlier than planned
Behind schedule	Finishing later than expected
Have a whale of a time	Have a lot of fun
On time	Punctually; not late
Take your time	Don’t rush; go slowly
Third time’s a charm	The third attempt will succeed

Master Time Idioms with Their Meaning

Essential Time Idioms in English with Pictures

Time Idiom	Meaning
A race against time	Doing something as fast as possible
Time and again	Repeatedly
Before your time	Happened before you were born or involved
Buy time	Delay something intentionally
Catch someone at a bad time	Speak to someone when they are busy
Do time	Spend time in prison
High time	It’s the right moment to do something
In the meantime	During the time between two events
Keep up with the times	Stay modern or updated
Lose track of time	Forget about time passing
Make time	Find time for something
Mark time	Wait without making progress
No time to lose	Must hurry or act quickly
Not before time	Something should have happened earlier
Time is money	Time is valuable, so don’t waste it
The time is ripe	It’s the perfect time to act
Set the time	Adjust a clock or schedule
Take time off	Stop working for a while
Waste of time	Something not worth your effort
Time will tell	The future will reveal the truth

Essential Time Idioms in English with Pictures

100 Time Idiom with Meanings

Time Idiom	Meaning
Ahead of the curve	More advanced or modern than others
As time goes by	As time passes
A stitch in time saves nine	Fixing a small problem early prevents bigger ones
Beat time	Move or clap in rhythm with music
Borrowed time	Living beyond expected limits
By the time	When something happens
Call time on	Decide to end something
Do it in your own time	Do it whenever you’re ready
Every now and then	Occasionally
For old times’ sake	Do something to remember the past
Give it time	Be patient; things will improve
Have a hard time	Struggle with something
Have time on your hands	Have free time
In good time	Early or with time to spare
Keep time	Maintain a steady rhythm
Last minute	Just before the deadline
Make good time	Travel or complete work quickly
Out of date	Not modern; old-fashioned
Over time	Gradually or as time passes
Time stands still	Time seems to stop during an emotional moment

100 Time Idioms in English with Meanings

Simple Idiom with their Meanings

Time Idiom	Meaning
Save time	Do something in a quicker way
Serve time	Spend time in prison
Short on time	Have very little time
Stand the test of time	Remain strong or useful over a long period
Take time	Require a certain amount of time
Take time out	Rest or relax from work
Time after time	Repeatedly
Time heals all wounds	Emotional pain gets better with time
Time is of the essence	Time is very important
Time on your side	Enough time to succeed
Time out	A short break from activity
Time to hit the road	Time to leave
Time to spare	Extra time left
Too much time on your hands	More free time than needed
Turn back the clock	Return to the past
Watch the clock	Be impatient or keep checking time
Work against the clock	Try to finish before the deadline
Year in, year out	Every year continuously
Only time will tell	The result will be clear in the future
Lost time is never found again	Once time is gone, it can’t be recovered