while

W0157700 (wīl, hwīl)n.1. A period of time: stay for a while; sang all the while. See Usage Note at awhile.2. The time, effort, or trouble taken in doing something: The project wasn't worth my while.conj.1. As long as; during the time that: It was lovely while it lasted.2. In spite of the fact that; although: While that guitar may look nice, it's not a very good instrument.3. And on the contrary: The soles are leather, while the uppers are canvas.tr.v. whiled, whil·ing, whiles To spend (time) idly or pleasantly: while the hours away.

[Middle English, from Old English hwīl; see k^weiə- in Indo-European roots.]Usage Note: As a conjunction, while is used to indicate that two events are happening at the same time (While I was preparing the hamburger patties, she sliced the onions and tomatoes), but it can also be used to contrast two clauses in a nontemporal way (While the "h" is silent in the word "honest," it is pronounced in the word "hostile"). While has been used in this nontemporal sense for hundreds of years, and the latter sentence was judged acceptable by 75 percent of the Usage Panel in our 2012 survey. The Panel was somewhat less accepting, however, of this use of while in a sentence where it could potentially be misread as having a temporal meaning (31 percent disapproved of the sentence She said she wanted to go to a movie, while he proposed seeing a play). And 43 percent disapproved of a sentence in which the two contrasting clauses are explicitly not simultaneous: While the Tigers beat the Cubs last week, this week the Cubs beat the Tigers. To avoid ambiguity or an unintended suggestion of simultaneity, choose a different conjunction, such as although or whereas.

while

(waɪl) conj1. (subordinating) at the same time that: please light the fire while I'm cooking. 2. (subordinating) all the time that: I stay inside while it's raining. 3. (subordinating) in spite of the fact that: while I agree about his brilliance I still think he's rude. 4. (coordinating) whereas; and in contrast: flats are expensive, while houses are cheap. 5. (subordinating; used with a gerund) during the activity of: while walking I often whistle. prep, conjdialect Scot and Northern English another word for until: you'll have to wait while Monday for these sheets; you'll never make any progress while you listen to me. n6. (usually used in adverbial phrases) a period or interval of time: once in a long while. 7. trouble or time (esp in the phrase worth one's while): it's hardly worth your while to begin work today. 8. the while at that time: he was working the while. [Old English hwīl; related to Old High German hwīla (German Weile), Gothic hveila, Latin quiēs peace, tranquīlus tranquil]Usage: It was formerly considered incorrect to use while to mean in spite of the fact that or whereas, but these uses have now become acceptable

while

(ʰwaɪl, waɪl)

n., conj., prep., v. whiled, whil•ing. n. 1. an interval of time: a long while ago. conj. 2. during or in the time that: He ate ice cream while he waited. 3. throughout the time that; as long as. 4. even though; although: While they are related, they don't get along. 5. at the same time that: She exercises while he grows fat. prep. 6. Archaic. until. v.t. 7. to cause (time) to pass, esp. in some pleasant manner: to while away the hours. Idioms: worth one's while, worth one's time, trouble, or expense. [before 900; Middle English; Old English hwīl, c. Old Saxon, Old High German hwīla, Gothic hweila while, time, Old Norse hvīla place of rest]

while

1. used in time clauses

If one thing happens while another thing is happening, the two things happen at the same time.

He stayed with me while he was looking for a new house.While I was out she was trying to reach me on the phone.2. 'while' in concessive clauses

While has a special use which is not related to time. You use it to introduce a clause that contrasts with something else that you are saying.

Miguel loved sports while Julio preferred to read a book.While I have some sympathy for these people, I think they went too far.3. 'a while'

A while is a period of time.

After a while, my eyes got used to the darkness.Let's just sit down for a while.

while

Past participle: whiling
Gerund: whiled

Imperative
while
while

Present
I while
you while
he/she/it whiles
we while
you while
they while

Preterite
I whiling
you whiling
he/she/it whiling
we whiling
you whiling
they whiling

Present Continuous
I am whiled
you are whiled
he/she/it is whiled
we are whiled
you are whiled
they are whiled

Present Perfect
I have whiling
you have whiling
he/she/it has whiling
we have whiling
you have whiling
they have whiling

Past Continuous
I was whiled
you were whiled
he/she/it was whiled
we were whiled
you were whiled
they were whiled

Past Perfect
I had whiling
you had whiling
he/she/it had whiling
we had whiling
you had whiling
they had whiling

Future
I will while
you will while
he/she/it will while
we will while
you will while
they will while

Future Perfect
I will have whiling
you will have whiling
he/she/it will have whiling
we will have whiling
you will have whiling
they will have whiling

Future Continuous
I will be whiled
you will be whiled
he/she/it will be whiled
we will be whiled
you will be whiled
they will be whiled

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been whiled
you have been whiled
he/she/it has been whiled
we have been whiled
you have been whiled
they have been whiled

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been whiled
you will have been whiled
he/she/it will have been whiled
we will have been whiled
you will have been whiled
they will have been whiled

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been whiled
you had been whiled
he/she/it had been whiled
we had been whiled
you had been whiled
they had been whiled

Conditional
I would while
you would while
he/she/it would while
we would while
you would while
they would while

Past Conditional
I would have whiling
you would have whiling
he/she/it would have whiling
we would have whiling
you would have whiling
they would have whiling

Thesaurus

Noun

while - a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition; "he was here for a little while"; "I need to rest for a piece"; "a spell of good weather"; "a patch of bad weather"spell, patch, piecetime - an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities); "he waited a long time"; "the time of year for planting"; "he was a great actor in his time"cold snap, cold spell - a spell of cold weatherhot spell - a spell of hot weathersnap - a spell of cold weather; "a cold snap in the middle of May"

while

conjunction1. at the same time as, during the time that, for the period that Her parents look after her daughter while she works.noun1. time, period, stretch, spell, patch (Brit. informal), interval, period of time, stint They walked on in silence for a while.while something away (with time as object) pass, spend, kill, occupy, use up, beguile She whiled away the hours watching old movies on TV.

while

noun1. A rather short period:bit, space, spell, time.2. The use of energy to do something:effort, endeavor, exertion, pain (used in plural), strain, striving, struggle, trouble.Informal: elbow grease.verbTo pass (time) without working or in avoiding work.Also used with away:dawdle (away), fiddle away, idle (away), kill, trifle away, waste, wile (away).

Translations

一会儿虽然尽管当...的时候

while

(wail) conjunction (also whilst (wailst) ). 1. during the time that. I saw him while I was out walking.当...的时候2. although. While I sympathize, I can't really do very much to help. 虽然，尽管 noun a space of time. It took me quite a while; It's a long while since we saw her.一会儿while away to pass (time) without boredom. He whiled away the time by reading.消磨worth one's while worth one's time and trouble. It's not worth your while reading this book, because it isn't accurate.值得花时间和精力的

while

→ 一会儿zhCN, 虽然zhCN

Can you do it while I wait? → 我在这里等着行吗？

while

See:

(every) once in a while
a reed before the wind lives on(, while mighty oaks do fall)
a while back
after (a) while, crocodile
after a while
After while
After while, crocodile
all the time
be worth (one's) while
breathing space
even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while
every now and then
every once in a while
fiddle while Rome burns
fiddle while Rome burns, to
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.
get out while the gettin’s good
get out while the getting is good
get out while the getting’s good
get out while the goin’s good
get out while the going is good
get while the gettin 's good
get while the gettin’s good
get while the getting is good
get while the getting’s good
get while the goin’s good
get while the going is good
go while the going is good
in a while
it was fun while it lasted
make (something) worth (one's) while
Make hay while the sun shines
make it worth while
make something worth somebody's while
not worth while
now and then
once in a while
quit while (one) is ahead
quit while one is ahead
quit while one's ahead
quit while the going is good
quite a while
reed before the wind lives on, while mighty oaks do fall
see you in a (little) while
see you in a little while
strike while the iron is hot
strike while the iron is hot, to
when one's back is turned
when the cat's away
When the cat's away, the mice will play
while a period of time away
while away
while away the time, etc.
while the going is good
While there's life there's hope
while there's life, there's hope
while we're young
while you are at it
while/where there's life there's hope
wild horses couldn't drag (one) away (from something)
wild horses couldn't drag (one) to (something)
wild horses couldn't drag (something) from (one)
wild horses wouldn't drag (one) to (something)
wild horses wouldn't drag (something) from (one)
worth (one's) while
worth one's while
worth while
worth your while

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Synonyms for while

conj at the same time as

Synonyms

noun time

Synonyms

phrase while something away

Synonyms

Synonyms for while

noun a rather short period

Synonyms

noun the use of energy to do something

Synonyms

verb to pass (time) without working or in avoiding work

Synonyms

Synonyms for while

noun a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition

Synonyms

Related Words