downtime

noun

down·​time ˈdau̇n-ˌtīm How to pronounce downtime (audio)
Synonyms of downtimenext
1
: time during which production is stopped especially during setup for an operation or when making repairs
2
: inactive time (such as time between periods of work)
napping during our downtime
an injured athlete facing months of downtime

Synonyms of downtime

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of downtime in a Sentence

After a busy day at work, I look forward to some downtime at home. The kids napped during their downtime. We need to minimize network downtime.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The downtime is a natural consequence of Sunshine State conditions versus a wooden coaster, said Cory Lytle, tech services director at Legoland Florida Resort in Winter Haven. — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026 Material scrap spikes, machine downtime and vendor delays happen constantly. — Chris Hale, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 There may be downtime during the transition, which Amazon Game Studios will communicate as developments continue. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 The downtime comes after a particularly busy stretch for the rapper. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for downtime

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downtime was in 1928

Rhymes for downtime

See All Rhymes for downtime

Browse Nearby Words

downtick
downtime
down to
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downtime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downtime. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on downtime

Nglish: Translation of downtime for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All