while

while

while 1 S1 W1 / waɪl / 连词 #

1 during the time that something is happening :

They arrived while we were having dinner.

While she was asleep, thieves broke in and stole her handbag.

She met Andy while working on a production of Carmen.

2 all the time that something is happening :

Would you look after the children while I do the shopping?

Grammar

In a clause beginning with while that refers to the future, use the present tense, not ‘will’ :

I will enjoy my fame while it lasts (NOT while it will last).

3 used to emphasize the difference between two situations, activities etc :

Schools in the north tend to be better equipped, while those in the south are relatively poor.

4 in spite of the fact that 同义词 although :

While never a big eater, he did snack a lot.

While there was no conclusive evidence, most people thought he was guilty.

5 while I’m/you’re etc at/about it spoken used to suggest that someone should do something at the same time that they do something else :

Print out what you’ve written, and while you’re at it make a copy for me.

THESAURUS

while during the time that you are doing something, or something is happening : I bought a magazine while I was waiting for the train. | While we were on holiday, my bag was stolen.

meanwhile at the same time as something else is happening : They’re still working on our bedroom. Meanwhile, we’re sleeping downstairs. | The Russians, meanwhile, declared war on August 8.

in the meantime during the period of time between now and a future event, or between two events in the past : More aid is expected soon, but in the meantime these people are going hungry. | My new job hadn’t started, so in the meantime I tried to write a book.

whilst British English while. Whilst sounds a little more formal than while : One American plane was forced to land whilst flying over North Korea. | Whilst all this was going on, the performers were getting ready for the show.

while 2 S1 W2 noun #

1 a while a period of time, especially a short one :
It takes a while to recover from the operation. in a while Mr Thomas will be with you in a while. for a while At last, he could relax for a while. a little/short while Wait a little while before deciding. We talked for quite a while (= a fairly long time ) on the phone. 2 all the while all the time that something is happening :
He examined her thoroughly, talking softly all the while. She continued working, all the while keeping an eye on the clock. → (every) once in a while at once 1 ( 8 ) , → be worth sb’s while (to do/doing something) at worth 1 ( 5 ) , → make it worth sb’s while at worth 1 ( 6 )

THESAURUS

when at or during the time that something happens : Call me when you get home. | When I got here, the place was empty. while during the time that something is happening – used to emphasize that something is continuing : I’ll make the salad while you set the table. | While we were on holiday, our house was burgled. whenever used in order to emphasize that something always happens when another thing happens : He visits his mother whenever he can. | You can come and talk to me whenever you have a problem. by the time used in order to say that one thing has or will have already happened when something else happens : By the time a child is five, he will have watched hundreds of hours of television.

while 3 verb #

while away the hours/evening/days etc to spend time in a pleasant and lazy way :
The evenings were whiled away in endless games of cards.

THESAURUS