This article presents some further results of an investigation into the place of leisure in the lifestyles of 200 young adults living in the Potteries. It extends an earlier discussion of six leisure activity types (Bernard, 1984a) by exploring the meanings respondents attach to leisure time and free time, their perceptions of leisure opportunities, the nature and intensity of constraints on leisure, and the relationship of leisure to other life spheres. This article shows how some objectively leisure‐rich respondents are experiencing underlying tensions and dissatisfactions, while other objectively leisure‐poor respondents are managing to achieve a successful balance between leisure and other aspects of their lifestyles. Moreover, it highlights the importance of studying leisure in the context of lifestyles to better comprehend the ways in which leisure meshes with real life.