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View synonyms for awhile

awhile

[uh-hwahyl, uh-wahyl]

adverb

  1. for a short time or period.

    Stay awhile.



awhile

/ əˈwaɪl /

adverb

  1. for a brief period

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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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 ).
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Word History and Origins

Origin of awhile1

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

The idea of a TV version had been explored by the Times for awhile, and the company’s timing is fortunate.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It’s unclear how long the government shutdown will last, and with the House in recess for another week, it will likely be awhile before any action will be taken.

Read more on Salon

Evelyn once said this thing in an interview awhile ago that really stuck with me, about how important it is for people to understand that Deaf people do have a relationship with music.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It’s enough to lift him off the ground and keep him afloat for awhile.

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I like getting out of a movie and being quiet for awhile.

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awheela while back