Leisure
n.calm, joyfuleveryday
What it means
Time free from required work and available for rest or chosen enjoyment.
Reach for it when naming uncommitted time rather than a particular activity
During winter leisure, Daria learned to carve small wooden birds.
Choose between these
7- playful
me time
informal personal space away from demands is intended
not when Me time excludes sociable recreation and sounds chatty in formal prose.
- everyday
free time
the most natural plain phrase is wanted
not when Free time can be brief or accidental and lacks leisure's restful tone.
- warm
restful unwinding is the purpose
not when Leisure can be energetic, creative, or challenging rather than relaxing.
- professional
downtime
a pause between periods of activity is meant
not when Downtime can be forced by equipment failure rather than freely enjoyed.
- professional
refreshing activity is the focus
not when Recreation names what people do, not the available time.
- literary
idleness
lack of occupation is being described neutrally or critically
not when Idleness often sounds disapproving, unlike chosen leisure.
- literary
relief from strain makes the break meaningful
not when Respite implies preceding difficulty that leisure does not require.
Said against
3- work
- labor
- obligation
It naturally appears in
3- leisure time
She protects an hour of leisure time for reading each evening.
- at leisure
Visitors may examine the garden plans at leisure.
- leisure activity
Cycling became his favorite leisure activity after retirement.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, noun sense 1 opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.