momentary

adjective

mo·​men·​tary ˈmō-mən-ˌter-ē 

1

a

: continuing only a moment : fleeting

a momentary pause

b

: having a very brief life

2

: operative or recurring at every moment

momentariness noun

Synonyms of momentary

• flash
• brief
• temporary
• transient
• passing
• fleeting

Choose the Right Synonym for momentary

transient, transitory, ephemeral, momentary, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent mean lasting or staying only a short time.

transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

transitory applies to what is by its nature or essence bound to change, pass, or come to an end.

fame in the movies is transitory

ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

momentary suggests coming and going quickly and therefore being merely a brief interruption of a more enduring state.

my feelings of guilt were only momentary

fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face

fleeting moments of joy

evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation

Examples of momentary in a Sentence

He experienced a momentary loss of consciousness.

the pain of the flu shot was only momentary

Recent Examples on the Web

The momentary distraction gives Ellen a clear shot to finish the leader off with an arrow to the chest. — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

But Sale got out of that momentary jam with a strikeout — his seventh of the game at that point — of Realmuto. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The reflex sell-off after Wednesday's Federal Reserve rate hike gave the S&P 500 a momentary test of 7500, which proved a timely shakeout. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Suddenly the familiar faces of morning television, already struggling to make sense of the first crash, went wide-eyed and silent in momentary shock. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for momentary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

Kids Definition

momentary

adjective

mo·​men·​tary ˈmō-mən-ˌter-ē 

: lasting only a moment