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Suffix · forms nouns / adjectives

-time

Forms compounds naming periods, moments, or eras with a distinct identity: lifetime, peacetime, wartime, pastime, overtime, daytime, nighttime, bedtime.

In Spanish: tiempo de / época deBasic

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated August 2026

What does -time build?

-time attaches to nouns and adjectives to name periods, times of day, or historical eras with a defined character: Times of day or seasonal periods: • daytime = the hours of daylight • nighttime = the hours of darkness • bedtime = the time for going to sleep • springtime / summertime = spring / summer as poetic eras • halftime = the break midway through a sports match Lifetime or historical eras: • lifetime = the whole span of a person's life • peacetime = the period when a country is not at war • wartime = the period when a country is at war • overtime = time worked beyond normal hours • pastime = an activity that pleasantly occupies one's time

Lifetime: the most literary compound

"Lifetime" carries special emotional weight, designating the whole span of a person's existence or the full duration of something. It appears in fixed expressions of great rhetorical force: • "once in a lifetime" = a unique, unrepeatable experience • "the opportunity of a lifetime" • "a lifetime of work" = an entire career of effort • "in my lifetime" = during the span of my life • "lifetime achievement award" = an award for a whole career In literature, "a lifetime" creates a sense of temporal vastness and accumulated weight.

Peacetime and wartime: the historical pair

"Peacetime" and "wartime" form a semantically essential pair in history, journalism, and political literature. They establish the epic context in which a narrative or argument unfolds: "In wartime, ordinary rules are suspended." "Peacetime prosperity gave way to wartime austerity." Both also work as adjectives: "a wartime leader," "wartime rationing," "peacetime dividend" (the economic benefit of ending a conflict).

How it is formed

Noun + time.

life + time
lifetime
peace + time
peacetime
over + time
overtime

This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.

How it is pronounced

-time/taɪm/ · sounds like "time"

Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

Base word

With -time

In a phrase

lifelifetimeShe dedicated a lifetime to the study of ancient languages.
peacepeacetimeIn peacetime, the army focuses on training and readiness.
warwartimeWartime rationing meant families survived on very little.
passpastimeReading was her favourite pastime on rainy afternoons.
overovertimeThe workers were paid extra for the overtime they had put in.
daydaytimeOwls are rarely seen during the daytime.
nightnighttimeThe nighttime temperature dropped well below zero.
bedbedtimeThe children always wanted one more story at bedtime.

Common mistakes

it is a lifetime opportunity

it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

The fixed idiom is "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" = an unrepeatable chance. "Lifetime opportunity" alone is understood but less idiomatic.

pastimes is always plural

a pastime / pastimes (countable)

"Pastime" is countable: "reading is my favourite pastime," "the pastimes of the aristocracy." It is not uncountable.

A trick to remember it

"-time" = a named stretch of time. Picture a clock marking an entire era at once: life + time = your whole lifespan, war + time = the whole period of war.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"Wartime rationing meant families had to survive on very little." What does "wartime" mean here?

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Frequently asked questions

What does the suffix -time mean in English?

The suffix -time forms compounds naming periods, moments, or eras with a distinct identity: lifetime, peacetime, wartime, pastime, overtime, daytime, nighttime, bedtime. In Spanish it usually maps to tiempo de / época de.

How do you pronounce -time?

The ending -time is pronounced /taɪm/ · sounds like "time". For example, "lifetime".

Can you give an example of a word with -time?

"life" becomes "lifetime". It is a typical example of the -time suffix.

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