downtime
/ˈdaʊnˌtaɪm/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.20 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Time lost due to the failure of some system or machinery, such as a computer crash or power outage.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A period of time set aside for relaxation and rest; leisure time, free time.
Canadian usage; American usage; Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "A short internet outage might sound like a trifling matter – don’t we all need a little bit of time offline now and then? – but for many, the pervasiveness of the so-called “internet of things” meant downtime at Amazon affected their physical life as well as their digital one."
- "As the world turns inward, trapped inside in various stages of pandemic quarantine, numerous songwriting luminaries (often blessed with their own in-home studios) have tried to use the downtime creatively—from Millennial stars like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande to longtime veterans like Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello."
- "I’ve been working all weekend. I need some downtime."
- "But scientists point to an unanticipated side effect: when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas."
- "‘We need to use the downtime, when things are calm, to prepare for when things get serious in the decades to come,’ he [Demis Hassabis] has said. ‘The time we have now is valuable, and we need to make use of it.’"
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈdaʊnˌtaɪm/
- British English: /ˈdaʊntaɪm/
Usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
- Canadian usage
- American usage