- 1a very short period of time Could you wait a moment, please? One moment, please (= Please wait a short time). He thought for a moment before replying. I'll be back in a moment. We arrived not a moment too soon (= almost too late). Moments later (= a very short time later), I heard a terrible crash.
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- 2[singular] an exact point in time We're busy at the moment (= now). I agreed in a moment of weakness. At that very moment, the phone rang. From that moment on, she never felt really well again.
- 3[countable] a particular occasion; a time for doing something I'm waiting for the right moment to tell him the bad news. That was one of the happiest moments of my life. Have I caught you at a bad moment? see senior moment Idioms
- 1to wait for a short time Can you wait a second while I make a call?
- 2used when you have just noticed or remembered something, or had a sudden idea Wait a minute — this isn't the right key.
very soon Hurry up! He'll be back any moment now.
now, at the present time At this moment in time, I don't know what my decision will be.
for now; for a short time This house is big enough for the moment, but we'll have to move if we have children.
to have short times that are better, more interesting, etc. than others The job isn't exciting all the time, but it has its moments. I found the play rather boring, but it had its moments.
used to ask someone to wait for a short time “Is Mr. Burns available?” “Just a second, please, I'll check.”
the latest possible time before an important event They changed their plans at the last minute. Don't leave your decision to the last moment.
as soon as… I want to see him the moment he arrives. The moment she walked through the door I thought she looked different.
a time when someone or something is tested, or when important decisions are made The moment of truth is when the trainee pilots take over the controls of the plane.
certainly not; not at all I don't think for a moment that she'll accept, but you can ask her.
very important matters of great moment
(of a person, a job, an issue, etc.) famous, important, and talked about a lot now She's the fashion designer of the moment.
not long in advance; without warning or time for preparation This was the best room we could get on such short notice. You must be ready to leave at a moment's notice.
suddenly, without planning in advance I phoned him up on the spur of the moment. a spur-of-the-moment decision
the best time to do something in order for it to be successful The trick is in finding the (right) psychological moment to ask him for more money.
Check pronunciation: moment