Does “take your time” sound a bit rude to you? Perhaps it’s time to look for a few synonyms showing you how to say “take your time” professionally!
This article is all you need if you’re looking for another way to say “take your time.” We’ve included some of the best synonyms out there.
Other Ways to Say “Take Your Time”
- Take as long as you need
- Don’t rush
- Don’t panic
- Take whatever time you need
- Think on it
- Take a moment
- Don’t rush through
- Take care with it
- You have all the time you need
- There is no deadline
- Get it done when you can
- Work at your own pace
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “Take your time” shows you are putting no pressure on someone to complete a task, which is both polite and responsible.
- “Take as long as you need” is a suitable formal synonym, allowing someone to work at their own pace.
- “Don’t rush” is an informal phrase showing that someone doesn’t need to be quick about completing something.
There are plenty of useful options out there. Keep reading to dive deeper into the most useful synonyms in these contexts.
It’s also wise to learn whether it’s rude to say “take your time.” You can skip to the final section if you’re here to learn more about that.
Take as Long as You Need (Formal)
If you’re looking for how to say “take your time” professionally, “take as long as you need” is a great alternative.
It works well in business emails, showing you want someone to take their time and not rush anything.
Using a phrase like this suggests there is no deadline for the work presented to someone. It lets them be in charge of their workload, which puts much less pressure on them.
We think “take as long as you need” is a great formal alternative to “take your time.” We recommend keeping both at the ready when writing emails to colleagues or employees. They overlap nicely, giving you options and helping to keep your formal writing interesting.
These email examples will give you a clearer idea of how they work:
Dear Taylor,
Take as long as you need before coming back to work. You deserve this time off.
All the best,
Matilda
Dear Sarah,
Take as long as you need before giving me a decision. I appreciate that you’re very busy.
Yours,
Dean
Don’t Rush (Informal)
“Don’t rush” is suitable as an informal synonym for “take your time.” You can use it when you want to encourage someone to slow down to get the best work out of them.
Sometimes, people rush their work. If you set an employee a deadline they need to get something done by, they may panic and rush their work. This usually results in poor performance as they do not put enough time into completing their work.
“Don’t rush” removes that issue in informal situations. You can use it with coworkers or friends who you think are trying too hard to meet a deadline.
The phrase encourages them to take a step back and slow down. Often, this results in better results because they spend more time getting their work right.
Here are a couple of examples that should help you with this one:
Don’t rush, mate. You have no reason to panic over this work. I believe you can do it.
Oh, don’t rush. There’s no way you’ll get this done by the end of the day. Just accept that and get it done properly!
Is It Rude to Say “Take Your Time”?
“Take your time” is not rude if you’re saying it to remove the pressure someone might place on themselves.
If you have set them a task, using “take your time” politely shows that you don’t mind when they complete it.
However, “take your time” becomes rude when used sarcastically. You should be careful doing this.
For example, if someone is taking too long to answer a question you asked, you might jokingly say “take your time.” This highlights that they’ve already taken ages and have started to waste your time.
Drawing attention to this is a rude thing to do. It will lead the other person to panic, which could result in them taking even more time.
If you want to remove the sarcasm, try adding a simple “please” to the start. For example:
- Please take your time
It’s a simple fix, but it’s an effective one.
There you have it. “Take your time” isn’t rude if you say it at an appropriate time.
Still, you should bookmark this page and return to it if you need extra guidance!