momentary
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
lasting for only a very short time.
lasting for a brief moment; transient or fleeting in duration.
Simple“There was a momentary silence before the crowd started cheering.”
In context“The driver experienced a momentary lapse in concentration, which was fortunately corrected before the vehicle drifted out of its lane.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it describes.
PitfallThe decision had a momentary impact on the company. The decision had a momentous impact on the company.Do not confuse 'momentary' (short-lived) with 'momentous' (very important).
- 02 C1 Advanced
lasting for a short period rather than being permanent.
ephemeral or relatively short-lived in a broader temporal context.
Simple“His fame was momentary, and people soon forgot his name.”
In context“The stock market saw a momentary recovery in prices, though analysts warned that the underlying economic indicators remained weak.”
“It was very momentary – very temporary, almost.” In 1988, Broadrick and Green, who grew up on the same estate, started Godflesh.”
From Middle English momentare, from Late Latin mōmentārius (“of brief duration”), from mōmentum (“a short time, an instant”). By surface analysis, moment + -ary.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.