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

Whether from a momentary injury that knocks the wind out of you, swimming underwater for too long or recovering after sprinting at full speed, anyone who has struggled to fill their lungs with oxygen knows how scary the feeling can be. —Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025

The county lawsuit also cites a filing Edison made with state regulators revealing that the transmission lines over Eaton Canyon saw a momentary increase of electrical current at about the same time the Eaton fire ignited on Jan. 7. —Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2025

Yet, a startling discovery announced earlier this year reveals a fascinating and momentary glimpse of this dinosaur on the move. —Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 17 Feb. 2025

On Wednesday evening, the Jonas Brothers posted a letter to social media that gave some fans a momentary sense of panic. —Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 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