momentarily

adverb

mo·​men·​tar·​i·​ly ˌmō-mən-ˈter-ə-lē 

1

: for a moment

The rain stopped momentarily.

2

archaic : instantly

3

: at any moment : in a moment

The show will start momentarily.

Synonyms of momentarily

• shortly
• soon

Examples of momentarily in a Sentence

The wind let up momentarily, allowing us to start a campfire.

He paused momentarily before finishing his speech.

We expect them to arrive momentarily.

Recent Examples on the Web

The two giggled momentarily before Quiñonez turned back and answered candidly. — Jake McCreven, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Daniels stayed down momentarily, then started to walk to the sideline before going to the turf again. — CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

Daniels stayed down momentarily after the play, then started to walk to the sideline before going to the turf again. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Below, explore 11 cities reclaimed by nature and the eerie beauty left behind when the earth reclaims what was only momentarily ours. — Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for momentarily

• arbitrarily
• customarily
• militarily
• necessarily
• ordinarily
• secondarily
• temporarily
• voluntarily
• airily
• caroli
• merrily
• verily

Kids Definition

momentarily

adverb

mo·​men·​tari·​ly

ˌmō-mən-ˈter-ə-lē

1

: for a moment

the pain eased momentarily

2

archaic : instantly

3

: at any moment

we expect them momentarily