adv · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈməʊməntəɹəli/
UK:/məʊmənˈtɛɹəli/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:M OW2 M AH0 N T EH1 R AH0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
In a momentary manner; for a moment or instant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: manner
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
In a moment or very soon; any minute now, any time now.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, not-comparable, proscribed
Topics: duration, time
Examples
The system will restart momentarily.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
Progressively; moment by moment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adverb
Meaning 4
at any moment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
she will be with you momently
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: momently
Antonyms: none provided
5
adverb
Meaning 5
for an instant or moment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we paused momentarily before proceeding
a cardinal perched momently on the dogwood branch
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: momently
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English momentary Middle English -ly English -ly English momentarily From momentary + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
моментно
(momentno)
— In a momentary manner
Dutch:
even
— In a momentary manner
Esperanto:
momente
— In a momentary manner
Finnish:
hetkeksi
— In a momentary manner
Finnish:
hetkellisesti
— In a momentary manner
French:
brièvement
— In a momentary manner
German:
momentan
— In a momentary manner
Hungarian:
egy pillanatra
— In a momentary manner
Malay:
seketika
— In a momentary manner
Norwegian Bokmål:
momentant
— In a momentary manner
Norwegian Nynorsk:
momentant
— In a momentary manner
Polish:
chwilowo
— In a momentary manner
Romanian:
momentan
— In a momentary manner
Spanish:
momentariamente
— In a momentary manner
Spanish:
por un momento
— In a momentary manner
Bulgarian:
мигновено
(mignoveno)
— In a moment or very soon
Dutch:
zo
— In a moment or very soon
Esperanto:
momente
— In a moment or very soon
Finnish:
koska hyvänsä
— In a moment or very soon
Finnish:
millä hetkellä hyvänsä
— In a moment or very soon
German:
jeden Moment
— In a moment or very soon
German:
jeden Augenblick
— In a moment or very soon
Hungarian:
hamarosan
— In a moment or very soon
Japanese:
間も無く
(mamonaku)
— In a moment or very soon
Norwegian:
straks
— In a moment or very soon
Norwegian:
veldig snart
— In a moment or very soon
Norwegian:
øyeblikkelig
— In a moment or very soon
Romanian:
imediat
— In a moment or very soon
Russian:
вско́ре
(vskóre)
— In a moment or very soon
