noun
hobby
An activity done regularly for enjoyment during free time.
Photography is my favorite hobby when I have free time.
Etymology
Hobby shortens hobbyhorse, which acquired a figurative sense for a favorite pursuit or preoccupation. The shortened word came to mean a leisure activity pursued for pleasure.
More examples
- She takes up knitting as a hobby.
- His hobbies include gardening and building model airplanes.
- I bake as a hobby, not for a living.
Forms
hobby · hobbies
hobbyist noun — A person who regularly pursues a hobby.
Similar words
- pastime
- An enjoyable way to pass time, not necessarily pursued regularly.
- recreation
- Enjoyable leisure activity generally, rather than a particular regular pursuit.