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

After Baltimore bridge collapse, expert says momentary power outage common Photos of the APL Qingdao near the Verrazzano Bridge evoked the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after being struck by a cargo ship nearly two weeks ago. —USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024

Yet her momentary reappearance, which has been followed by other mini-resurfacings like her Super Bowl and pre-wedding performances, hasn’t officially signaled the end of her eight-year musical hiatus. —Heran Mamo, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024

Is a momentary blow to your independence an opportunity to lean into your support network? —Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2024

Today is the momentary calm before the hurricane of public opinion. —Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Feb. 2024

The momentary breakdown spoiled what was an otherwise successful game for Bay FC. —Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024

However, my youngest expressed a momentary bout of fear while attempting to go to bed, about the film's main antagonist, Zuul—the creepy, dog-like demon with red-eyes who is a minion of the evil Gozer. —Kristina Behr, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024

At the party, the machines, following their momentary blackout, return to life as killer instruments. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024

Some of these visual gambits stop rather than deepen the story, but those pauses are momentary. —Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024

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