momentarily
Americanadverb
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for a moment; briefly.
to pause momentarily.
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at any moment; imminently.
expected to occur momentarily.
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Now Rare. instantly.
adverb
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for an instant; temporarily
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from moment to moment; every instant
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very soon
Etymology
Origin of momentarily
Explanation
The original meaning of the adverb momentarily was "lasting for brief time": "She was daydreaming and momentarily lost her train of thought." Today, the word is frequently used to mean "very soon." A waiter might say to a hungry customer, "Your food will be ready momentarily." When something is just about to happen, it will happen momentarily. Just before a concert begins, an announcer will often tell the audience it's starting momentarily. But if you pause your movie momentarily so you can go grab a snack, that means you will put the movie on hold for a short time. The "lasting for a moment" meaning of this word is attested from the 1650s; it wasn't used to mean "at any moment" until the 1920s.
Vocabulary lists containing momentarily
The Sky at Our Feet
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The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
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"A Brief Account of the Facts" and "Comprehending the Calamity"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Momentarily terrifying, they encouraged investors to “buy the dip” quickly and recklessly—the junkier the stocks, the better.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025
Momentarily running into a wall of defenders, Skattebo cut outside for a 17-yard touchdown that gave Arizona State a 17-7 lead with 3:07 left.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2023
Momentarily caught off-guard, the players hesitated before leaping from their seats, cell phones out to capture the moment.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2022
Day 19: Momentarily dispensing his fly-on-the-wall filming technique, Lindsey-Hogg needs 17 takes of Ringo handing Yoko a stick of gum before the declaring the lighting "satisfactorily impromptu."
From Salon • Dec. 4, 2021
Momentarily unable to express his sense of loss, Spassky e-mailed Einar Einarsson: “My brother is dead.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
