time thief

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time thief (plural time thieves)

1. (informal, idiomatic) Something or someone that consumes an inordinate amount of time, especially without achieving anything productive.
   • 2006, Don Boyer, The Power of Mentorship, Real Life Teaching/Publishing, →ISBN, page 137:

     Genie is also an invaluable asset when gabbing on the telephone which can really be a time thief since it's so easy to lose track of time when lost in deep conversation with another.

   • 2008, Jan Silvious, Smart Girls Think Twice: Making Wise Choices When It Counts, Thomas Nelson, →ISBN, page 61:

     In fact, anything we do just to kill time—even essentially healthy activities like reading, chatting on the phone, or completing a sudoku puzzle—becomes a time thief.

   • 2014, Ana Weber, 360 Degrees of Success: Money, Relationships, Energy, Time: The 4 Essential Ingredients to Create Personal and Professional Success in Your Life, Morgan James Publishing, →ISBN, page 141:

     Trying to change our basic nature is difficult at best, and struggling against it is a time thief.

• time bandit, time burglar