momentary
MOH-mun-ter-ee
/ˈmoʊmənˌtɛri/
Lasting for a very short time; occurring at every moment.
Focuses on the extreme brevity of the event, often just a few seconds.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'momentum', which referred to a short time but also to the 'moving power' or 'turning point' of a scale. It suggests a tiny weight that causes a change, emphasizing how small and brief the 'moment' is.
Word relationships
- instantaneous: Instantaneous means happening in an instant; momentary means lasting for a moment.
- lasting: Lasting implies a significant duration.
Commonly confused with
- momentous: Momentary means brief; momentous means of great importance.
Word family
- moment (noun): A very brief period of time.
Collocations
- momentary lapse
- momentary distraction
- momentary confusion
- momentary pause
Example sentences
- "There was a momentary pause in the conversation as everyone waited for her reaction." Describing a brief interruption.
- "The power outage was only momentary, but it was enough to reset all the clocks." Describing a technical glitch.
Memory hook
It only lasts a 'moment'. Just a moment.
When not to use
Do not use when you mean 'important' (that would be 'momentous').
Fun facts
- In the Middle Ages, a 'moment' was an actual unit of time equal to 1/40th of an hour (90 seconds).
Related words
Explore more words
instantaneous, in the blink of an eye, occasional, acute, intermittent, transience
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