momentary

adjective

mo·​men·​tary ˈmō-mən-ˌter-ē 

1

a

: continuing only a moment : fleeting

b

: having a very brief life

2

: operative or recurring at every moment

momentariness noun

Synonyms

• brief
• deciduous
• ephemeral
• evanescent
• flash
• fleeting
• fugacious
• fugitive
• impermanent
• passing
• short-lived
• temporary
• transient
• transitory

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

And in those moments, Haney rides to California to find a momentary calm. —Tyler R. Tynes, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023

The most meaningful climate data and tools must provide longer-term insights that show an extended emissions, risk, and opportunity trajectory, rather than just a momentary snapshot. —Henry Fernandez, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2023

There's this momentary decade or two of prosperity that seems to work, which encourages greater expansion, of course. —Matt Simon, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023

High temperatures will be in the mid-40s to around 50 degrees, but may feel up to 10 degrees colder during those momentary gusts. —A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2023

But these momentary changes in perception aren’t enough to relieve symptoms. —WIRED, 26 Oct. 2023

However, there was a momentary scare that got both Mishra, 25, and his Pookie bears very nervous. —Farai Bennett, Peoplemag, 26 Oct. 2023

As congregants shuffled out, there was a momentary fracas near Lion’s Gate. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023

The lack of civil defense has also affected international humanitarian and medical workers, who are faced with sporadic, momentary notice of Israel’s counterattacks. —Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN, 12 Oct. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

momentary

adjective

mo·​men·​tary ˈmō-mən-ˌter-ē 

: lasting only a moment