# burn daylight

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/burn-daylight
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To waste time.

## Examples

- Stop burning daylight and start your homework now.
- We have a long drive ahead of us, so let's not burn daylight sitting in this parking lot.
- The manager urged his team to finish the report immediately, insisting that they could not afford to burn daylight while the deadline approached.

## Origin

Originally a reference to burning candles during the day.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.