timepass
Timepass is Indian English for killing time: doing something just to pass the hours. It can also describe anything that’s pleasant but not worth much, like a “timepass movie.”
What timepass means
Wiktionary gives two senses. The first is aimless or unproductive activity: “we were just doing timepass at the mall.” The second is something boring or not worthwhile, a waste of time. In between sits the most common everyday use, especially for films and books: a timepass movie is light, forgettable entertainment, fine for a long flight but nothing you’d recommend.
Sometimes it’s said about people and relationships, when someone isn’t serious: “Is he really interested, or is it just timepass?”
Examples
- “What are you doing?” “Nothing, just timepass.”
- “The movie was okay. Pure timepass.”
- “Why are you doing timepass with your friends? You should be studying!”
Where it came from
It’s simply “time” plus “pass,” coined in Indian English. Wiktionary compares Tamil pozhuthupokku, “hobby” or “entertainment,” built from the words for time and passing.
Related terms
- Jugaad: a clever makeshift fix.
- Doomscrolling: scrolling through bad news.
- Bed rotting: lying in bed all day on purpose.
- Mid: average, unimpressive.
More words from other languages are in our world slang guide.
Example sentence
We had two hours before the train, so we did some timepass at the station.
Similar words
killing time, waste of time
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