awhile

[uh-hwahyl, uh-wahyl]

adverb

1. for a short time or period.

   Stay awhile.

awhile

/ əˈwaɪl /

adverb

1. for a brief period

Spelling Note

The adverb awhile is spelled as a single word: After stopping in Hadley awhile, we drove to Deerfield. As the object of a preposition, the noun phrase a while is used, especially in edited writing, but the single-word form is becoming increasingly common: We rested for a while (or awhile ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of awhile¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English āne hwīle (dative); a ¹, while

Example Sentences

These details don’t cost much, but they whisper the same message:you’re cared for; linger awhile.

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“Poor Lord Fredrick! The Howling Elimination Program will have to wait awhile longer,” she thought.

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Finley remembers curator Helen Molesworth coming by the studio awhile back when he was working on a different series of work.

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There was no arguing with Dr. Molovo, and our friends agreed to stay awhile.

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But it might have been the last significant rain for awhile, and any gains made from those storms could be undone by this week’s heat and wind, according to the Weather Service.

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