momentary

adjective

mo·​men·​tary ˈmō-mən-ˌter-ē 

1

a

: continuing only a moment : fleeting

a momentarypause

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

Barkley had a 5-yard TD run in the second quarter overturned by a replay review, a momentary setback once Hurts scored from 1 yard out — yes, on a tush push — with 16 seconds left to send the Eagles into halftime with a 13-6 lead. —CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025

And incorporating usability testing with non-technical subjects revealed momentary human behaviors, like eye and scan patterns, that would buy operators critical split seconds when making mission-critical decisions. —Laura Crabtree, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025

Riley said all the promises of pay ring hollow for controllers who are regularly working with just one day off a week in a job where even a momentary lapse of attention could be fatal for hundreds of people. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025

The diversion to Pussycat hit territory was only a momentary one for the moment, veritably a trailer for the show’s finale. —Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for momentary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

momentary

adjective

mo·​men·​tary ˈmō-mən-ˌter-ē 

: lasting only a moment