awhile

adverb

ə-ˈ(h)wī(-ə)l 

: for a while

Sit and rest awhile.

Can awhile be used after a preposition?: Usage Guide

Although considered a solecism by many commentators, awhile, like several other adverbs of time and place, is often used as the object of a preposition.

… would be generous enough to let me explore their world for awhile.

—David Yeadon

Examples of awhile in a Sentence

I'm going to sit and rest awhile.

The rumor had been around awhile.

Recent Examples on the Web

Just seeing you in the same room together every once in awhile makes my heart whole again, if only for a fleeting moment. —Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 9 May 2025

Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee hung out in the lower-key upstairs space for awhile, but left before the party really heated up with A$AP’s late night arrival. —Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 6 May 2025

Stay and sit awhile, or stay and shop for something clever to commemorate your trip. —Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2025

From there, a guide accompanied me on a short hike to the base camp to relax awhile before setting out on a via ferrata climbing trail up to my sleeping pod. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

adverbial use of a while (written as one word sporadically since Middle English), going back to Middle English awhile, one while, going back to Old English āne hwīle — more at a entry 2, while entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for awhile

• argyle
• beguile
• compile
• condyle
• defile
• erstwhile
• exile
• freestyle
• gentile
• hairstyle
• lifestyle
• meanwhile

Kids Definition

awhile

adverb

ə-ˈhwī(ə)l 

ə-ˈwī(ə)l

: for a while : for a short time

sit and rest awhile