'time-waster' originates from the combination of 'time' and 'waster', where 'time' refers to the measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues, and 'waster' refers to someone or something that uses resources inefficiently.

'time-waster' evolved from the Old English word 'tīma' for 'time' and the Middle English 'wasten' for 'waster', eventually forming the modern English compound word 'time-waster'.

Initially, it meant 'someone who squanders time', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.