Kill time

Question

Hi,What do you usually do to pass the time/kill time/get rid of boredom?Do 'pass the time', 'kill time' and 'get rid of boredom' mean the same thing and interchangeable?Thanks.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Pass [the] time and kill time are interchangeable, but kill time is more casual.

Boredom is in a little different category, since you may be bored with your job even though you are fully occupied with/by it. You may not have any "free time" to pass or kill. Granted, there may be other situations where you are bored because you "have nothing to do."

Clive · Answer

Hi,

What do you usually do to pass the time/kill time/get rid of boredom?

Do 'pass the time', 'kill time' and 'get rid of boredom' mean the same thing and interchangeable?
Here are a few comments.

'pass the time' Sounds a bit like we are discussing your leisure activities.
'kill time' Sounds like you are waiting very impatiently for some future event, and that you are very bored.
'get rid of boredom' Does not sound like a very natural phrase.

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Avangi,
Thank you very much for your opinion.
Hi Clive,
Thank you very much for your reply. Here are my further questions:

Clive
'pass the time' Sounds a bit like we are discussing your leisure activities.

Do you mean 'kill time' doesn't fit in the sentence
"What do you usually do to pass the time" because
you are not waiting for something to happen here?

'kill time' Sounds like you are waiting very impatiently for some future event, and that you are very bored.

Do you mean we can't use 'pass the time' in this situation above because you are waiting for something?

'get rid of boredom' Does not sound like a very natural phrase.

Do you mean we don't say 'get rid of boredom'? What can we say if you want to stop feeling bored because you have nothing to do?

Thanks a lot.

Clive · Answer

Hi again,
'pass the time' Sounds a bit like we are discussing your leisure activities.

Do you mean 'kill time' doesn't fit in the sentence
"What do you usually do to pass the time" because
you are not waiting for something to happen here? Yes, generally speaking. 'Kill the time' does carry the idea of 'trying to make the time go faster for some reason', 'trying to make the time go away'.

'kill time' Sounds like you are waiting very impatiently for some future event, and that you are very bored.

Do you mean we can't use 'pass the time' in this situation above because you are waiting for something? Well, we are not always careful about selecting one or other of these phrases, but what I said is generally true.

'get rid of boredom' Does not sound like a very natural phrase.

Do you mean we don't say 'get rid of boredom'? Yes, it's not a common phrase. What can we say if you want to stop feeling bored because you have nothing to do? I think we'd often say it another way. eg I have nothing to do, so I think I'll watch some TV.

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

"Killing time" is really depressing. Our time is limited here so I wouldn't want to lose any of it. I don't think your three phrases are exactly the same. Check out my (link removed) for some more on boredom.

The trick is to have some purpose in life or in the year or in the day so that when you have a free spell, you think YES! Now I have time to do my......(fill in the blank). That's what I coach about (by phone), finding your true interests and your purpose.

See my blog and leave me a comment. I'd love that. Letitia

Avangi · Answer

But among the jackals, the panthers, the ***** hounds,
The apes, the scorpions, the vultures, the serpents,
The yelping, howling, growling, crawling monsters,
In the filthy menagerie of our vices,

There is one more ugly, more wicked, more filthy!
Although he makes neither great gestures nor great cries,
He would willingly make of the earth a shambles
And, in a yawn, swallow the world;

He is Ennui! — His eye watery as though with tears,
He dreams of scaffolds as he smokes his hookah pipe.
You know him reader, that refined monster,
— Hypocritish reader, — my fellow, — my brother!

- Baudelaire

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Clive, Letitia and Avangi,

Thanks for your kind answers.

Clive 'Kill the time' does carry the idea of 'trying to make the time go faster for some reason', 'trying to make the time go away'.

Does 'pass the time' carry the same idea as above as 'kill time' does?
---------------------------------

Do you mean we can't use 'pass the time' in this situation above because you are waiting for something? Well, we are not always careful about selecting one or other of these phrases, but what I said is generally true.

Do you mean we can use 'pass the time' instead of 'kill time'? Here is an example of 'kill time':
"We usually play guessing games to kill time at airports."
Does 'pass the time' fit here?

According to one online dictionary, 'pass the time' means "to spend time, especially when you are bored or waiting for something". Therefore, are they interchangeable here?
-------------------------------------

'get rid of boredom' Does not sound like a very natural phrase.

Do you mean we don't say 'get rid of boredom'? Yes, it's not a common phrase.

Do you mean it's not common but correct? Or it's not a correct phrase at all?
Is there any other similar phrase to express this idea?
------------------------------------------
"On the train journey, we play cards to pass the time." (from my dictionary)

Does 'kill time' fit in the sentence?

Thanks a lot.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

'Kill the time' does carry the idea of 'trying to make the time go faster for some reason', 'trying to make the time go away'.

Does 'pass the time' carry the same idea as above as 'kill time' does?
'Kill the time' often suggests much more strongly that you want the time to go by quickly, you want it to disappear'.

'Pass the time' quite often just refers to how we use our leisure time. Consider the word 'pastine', which refers to a leisure activity,
--

Do you mean we can't use 'pass the time' in this situation above because you are waiting for something? Well, we are not always careful about selecting one or other of these phrases, but what I said is generally true.

Do you mean we can use 'pass the time' instead of 'kill time'? Here is an example of 'kill time':
"We usually play guessing games to kill time at airports."
Does 'pass the time' fit here? Yes, subject to what I said above.

According to one online dictionary, 'pass the time' means "to spend time, especially when you are bored or waiting for something". Therefore, are they interchangeable here?'To kill time' sounds a little stronger to me, as I've said.
------

'get rid of boredom' Does not sound like a very natural phrase.

Do you mean we don't say 'get rid of boredom'? Yes, it's not a common phrase.

Do you mean it's not common but correct? Or it's not a correct phrase at all? It's correct, but I don't think it's common.
Is there any other similar phrase to express this idea? I offered you another way to express the idea in my earlier post. Yet another is to speak of 'a way to stop myself from being bored'.

On the train journey, we play cards to pass the time." (from my dictionary)

Does 'kill time' fit in the sentence? Yes, but it sounds a little bit stronger, as I've said.

Let me end by telling you something my mother-in-law really said to me once.
I used the phrase 'killing time' in conversation with her.
It made her a little angry with me. She said something like this. 'Life is a gift, and your time alive is a gift, so don't just talk as if you want it to go away. Go and find something useful to do'.

Best wishes, Clive

Avangi · Answer

I agree that "kill" seems disrespectful of our time - especially if we consider it a gift.

"Pass time" sounds more like we're using it.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you Clive and Avangi very much for all your great help.

Kill time

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