moment
Pluralmoments
- 1An exact point in time when something happens.
Like the exact second a clock strikes twelve.
At that moment, all the lights suddenly went out.
The moment she walked in, everyone started cheering.
UsageAt the moment means now. The moment she came in means as soon as she came in.
- 2
- 3A time when someone or something is very popular and gets lots of attention.
Like being the most popular kid at school for a while.
That singer is really having a moment right now.
Bright colors are having a moment this spring.
UsageSay something is having a moment, meaning it is very popular now.
- 4
- 5Short for moment of force: the turning push a force gives around a point.
The wrench applies a large moment to loosen the bolt.
A longer lever produces a bigger moment around the pivot.
UsageSay the moment about a point.
Note
Less common meanings
- 6An embarrassing thing someone does that seems typical of them or their group.
Like doing something silly that people always expect from you.
Forgetting my own phone number was a real senior moment.
Tripping on the red carpet was a classic celebrity moment.
UsagePut a word in front: a senior moment. About groups, it can be unkind.
- 7The importance, weight, or seriousness that something carries.
Like weight on a scale: the more something matters, the more it carries.
This is a decision of great moment for our whole family.
The news seemed of little moment at the time.
UsageUsually of great moment or of little moment. It sounds formal.
Similarimportance, significance, consequence, weight
Oppositeinsignificance, unimportance, triviality
Note
- 8A number that describes the shape or spread of a set of values.
Like a set of numbers that together describe the shape of something.
The first moment of the data gives its average.
The mean is the first moment of a set of numbers.
Note
- 9A tiny change in a quantity that is changing.
Note
- 10A short pause in awareness caused by a mild kind of seizure.
Like a TV that goes blank for a second, then comes back on.
Her doctor says Ella's moments are small seizures that last a few seconds.
Because of his epilepsy, he sometimes has a moment and stares blankly.
- 11A particular spot or point in a place, not a point in time.
- 12An old measure of time, about a minute and a half long.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of moment apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
It comes from Latin "momentum," reaching English through Old French. It is related to the words "momentum" and "movement."
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- Moment derives from Latin momentum through Old French. en.wiktionary.org
- Moment is etymologically related to momentum and movement. en.wiktionary.org