Synonyms

briefly

American

[breef-lee] / ˈbrif li /

adverb

for a short duration.

He stopped over briefly in Chicago.
in a few words.

Let me explain briefly.
in a brief manner; quickly or brusquely.

She nodded briefly and began to speak.

Usage

What does briefly mean? Briefly means for a short amount of time. It can also mean concisely or in a few words, as opposed to in a longer manner, as in State your main argument briefly in a sentence or two. Briefly is the adverb form of the adjective brief, which most commonly means lasting a short time or concise. Because it’s an adverb, briefly is used to describe verbs (actions), as in I briefly considered it, or adjectives, as in The conversation was briefly tense, but then everyone started to get along. Example: It rained briefly, probably only for a few minutes.

Etymology

Origin of briefly

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at brief, -ly

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.

Briefly, Bailey Zappe, one of his backups, stirred up optimism before fizzling out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Briefly facing 13 men, Stormers were not to be denied and Gelant wrapped up the seemingly inevitable bonus point out wide.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

Briefly, he looked like USC’s best hope to save its season.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2024

Briefly called to the stand to explain the comment on Wednesday, Trump said he was referring to witness Michael Cohen, his former lawyer and fixer.

From Reuters • Oct. 26, 2023

Briefly, a light came on, and someone laughed, then the place went dark again.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023