not for a moment

Idioms

Never, not in the least, as in Not for a moment did I believe he was telling the truth. This expression employs moment in the sense of “the tiniest length of time,” a usage dating from the mid-1300s.

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.

See Examples For:

not for a moment

Lincoln warned lawyers that they should not "for a moment yield to the popular belief" and urged them "to be honest at all events."

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2023

“I did not for a moment imagine it would take this long.”

From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2022

The presidents cannot cede leverage during their search, not for a moment.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2021

I’m not for a moment suggesting men and women suffer equally from misogyny, because that’s clearly and fundamentally not true.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 8, 2018

But Elizabeth was not for a moment fooled, and did not, for as long as she lived with her, fail to despise her aunt.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

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