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.
The sampling of funk and glam rock classics momentarily distracts us from the nonsensical staging choices and hopped-up gags, but only for so long.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
The offenders were stopped in their tracks by audience members shushing - some even hissing - or having a quiet word, but in each case it still momentarily broke the spell of the film.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
More recently, I was asked why I didn’t just buy a reprint online for cheap, and momentarily balked at the question.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
“Maybe, if you are looking for an Australian Wagyu beef of a certain grade, that may be in short supply. But that would be momentarily, in a particular store at a particular point in time.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
As she spoke, Lucy turned crimson, though it was only momentarily, for her poor wasted veins could not stand for long such an unwonted drain to the head.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
