momentary

adjective

mo·​men·​tary ˈmō-mən-ˌter-ē How to pronounce momentary (audio)
1
a
: continuing only a moment : fleeting
b
: having a very brief life
2
: operative or recurring at every moment
momentariness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for momentary

transient, transitory, ephemeral, momentary, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent mean lasting or staying only a short time.

transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

transitory applies to what is by its nature or essence bound to change, pass, or come to an end.

fame in the movies is transitory

ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

momentary suggests coming and going quickly and therefore being merely a brief interruption of a more enduring state.

my feelings of guilt were only momentary

fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face
fleeting moments of joy

evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation

Examples of momentary in a Sentence

He experienced a momentary loss of consciousness. the pain of the flu shot was only momentary
Recent Examples on the Web At the party, the machines, following their momentary blackout, return to life as killer instruments. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Some of these visual gambits stop rather than deepen the story, but those pauses are momentary. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Choi, however, believes the crackdown will be momentary. Stella Kim, NBC News, 20 Jan. 2024 This isn’t the manner of someone wreaking momentary havoc. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2024 But the caveat with all this is that baseline strength and mobility can change a butt wink from possibly problematic to NBD, since higher abilities in those arenas can up the chances someone can tolerate a momentary lapse in proper form. Christa Sgobba, SELF, 22 Feb. 2024 Still, the team took a momentary lead on Cooley's score. Pat Graham, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024 Portman is taking in Moore; Moore resists by meeting Portman’s gaze and staring her into momentary submission, while also passive-aggressively putting down her daughter (Elizabeth Yu). Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 For more of an intimate and peaceful experience, however, travelers can take a momentary breather on the interior-facing (and zen-like) terrace. Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'momentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of momentary was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near momentary

Cite this Entry

“Momentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/momentary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

momentary

adjective
mo·​men·​tary ˈmō-mən-ˌter-ē How to pronounce momentary (audio)
: lasting only a moment

More from Merriam-Webster on momentary

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