chronophage

English

Etymology

chrono- +‎ -phage

Noun

chronophage (plural chronophages)

1. (humorous) Something that wastes time.
   • 2007, Henry Hamilton, Phan Rang Chronicles, page 60:

     Evening chatting to Mr Vang, who is a chronophage, though an interesting one. Here one cannot turn a cold shoulder, as Goethe did, because personal relationships are probably more important than material achievements.

   • 2009, Nancy Williams, A Penny for Your Thoughts, page 144:

     Bad suggestions have a banal influence. Counter them. Your effort to cultivate self-discipline go waste^[sic] if you do not master the art of dealing with time wasters. They are chronophages.

French

FWOTD – 4 July 2022

Etymology

From chrono- +‎ -phage.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʁɔ.nɔ.faʒ/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophone: chronophages
• Hyphenation: chro‧no‧phage

Adjective

chronophage (plural chronophages)

1. time-consuming
   • 2021 September 17, Marlène Duretz, quoting @yanntoutcourt, “Sur TikTok, des profs changent de tactique”, in Le Monde‎^[1]:

     Il y a globalement un a priori très négatif sur TikTok : futile, inapproprié et chronophage, on y trouve tout et rien.

     On the whole, people have very negative preconceptions about TikTok: they think it's pointless, inappropriate and a waste of time, and that people will post anything and everything.

   • 2021 November 27, Valentin Pérez, quoting Georges Papalexis, “Chez le joaillier Zolotas, les méticuleux rayons d’or”, in Le Monde‎^[2]:

     « Il faut dire que c’est un savoir-faire très chronophage, qui va à l’encontre de la productivité de notre époque », souligne Georges Papalexis qui s’est formé entre Paris et Anvers.

     "It must be said that it's a very time-consuming craft, which goes against modern ideals of productivity," points out Georges Papalexis, who trained in Paris and Antwerp.

   • 2021 December 9, Roxana Azimi, “Ils « noircissent » Wikipédia pour « avoir une bibliothèque à l’image du monde »”, in Le Monde‎^[3]:

     Pas simple toutefois de garder la flamme vive sur la durée. Bénévole et chronophage, l’activité n’est pas toujours compatible avec une vie professionnelle et familiale.

     It is not always easy, however, to keep the flame alive in the long term. Voluntary and time-consuming, the hobby is not always compatible with professional and family life.

Derived terms

• chronophagement