moment
9 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
moments
plural
moments
Britannica Dictionary definition of MOMENT
1
[count]
:
a very short period of time
-
The sunshine that was here a moment [=minute, second] ago is gone.
-
The sun was shining. Moments later, it began to rain.
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It was a moment before she realized what had happened.
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She stopped for a moment and peeked into the window.
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It should only take a moment to fix the problem.
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Do you have a (spare) moment? [=do you have some free time so we can talk to each other briefly?]
-
I'm very busy and I don't have a moment to spare.
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The doctor arrived not a moment too soon. [=the doctor arrived just in time to help]
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I'll explain that in a moment. [=shortly, soon]
-
The crowd observed a moment of silence [=a short period of silent thought or prayer] for those who died in the tragedy.
2
[count]
:
a particular time
:
a precise point in time
-
One moment it was sunny; the next it was pouring rain.
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We enjoyed every moment of the play. [=we enjoyed all of the play]
-
The moment for us to act has arrived.
-
The moment is ripe for action. [=this is the right time for action]
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War seemed unavoidable at that moment in history.
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She knew exactly the right moment to ask for a raise.
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We had an exciting vacation. There was never a dull moment.
3
a
[noncount]
:
the present time
-
At the moment [=right now, at the current time] she is working on a novel.
-
We aren't prepared at this moment [=at this time, now] to say what our plans are.
-
As of this moment [=as of now, right now], there's nothing you can do.
◊ Something that is true for the moment is true now but might not be true for long.
-
For the moment, it is the world's largest city. [=it is the world's largest city now, but that may not be true much longer]
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He's staying out of trouble for the moment.
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For the moment, at least, I had the room to myself.
◊ Someone or something that is of the moment is very popular at a particular time.
-
the vacation destination of the moment [=the vacation destination that is now most popular]
-
the man/woman of the moment [=the man/woman who is now very popular and admired]
b
[count]
:
a time of importance or success
-
She took the time to relish her moment of triumph.
-
He's not the best player on the team, but he has his moments. [=he has times when he is extremely good, successful, etc.]
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It was a defining moment for him.
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It was a crowning moment in his presidency.
any moment
◊ If something could happen (at) any moment (now), it could happen very soon.
-
He could lose his temper at any moment.
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The war could begin at any moment.
-
She should be arriving at any moment now.
at/on a moment's notice
from moment to moment
or from one moment to the next or moment by moment
:
very quickly as time passes
-
The weather kept changing from one moment to the next. = The weather kept changing from moment to moment. [=from minute to minute]
hold/hang on a moment
informal or wait/just a moment
— used to tell someone to wait or to stop for a brief time
-
“Aren't you finished yet?” “Hold on a moment. I'm almost done.”
-
Hang on a moment—I don't understand.
moment of truth
:
the time when you have to do or decide something
-
The moment of truth came early, when we had to decide whether to stay or go.
-
It was her moment of truth, when she needed to show that she had the talent to succeed.
not for a/one moment
:
at no time
:
not at all
-
I did not believe her for one moment. [=I never believed her]
of moment
formal
:
having importance
-
an event of great moment [=a very important event]
-
There is no news of any moment to report.
on the spur of the moment
the last moment
:
the latest possible time
:
the last minute
-
Our flight was canceled at the last moment.
-
She finished her paper at the last moment.
-
Many people wait until the last (possible) moment before shopping for Christmas presents.
the moment
:
as soon as
-
The moment the cameras are turned off, he is able to relax.
-
Everything stops the moment she walks in the room.
within moments
:
very quickly
:
within a very short amount of time
-
Within moments, dozens of people had gathered.
